Forever
by Falcon4Crane
Summary: Tommy and Kim's lives between Turbo and Forever Red. How have they grown in the years leading up to the Forever Red episode.
1. Moving On

A/N: This is my new story leading up to and including the Forever Red episode. I hope that everyone enjoys this first chapter. Also this would not even be a story without my wonderful beta mykkila09. Thank you for helping me make this into a story. I don't own anything but the concept.

XXXX

_A few hours after Murthanis _

Kim and Jason were hanging out with the rangers before they had to leave. They had just watched Jason, Tommy, and Adam win their match. The only person not there was Tommy. He had already said his goodbyes but he just couldn't stay. Kim knew that he blamed himself for her being captured even though he couldn't stop it. Kim was trying to put on a good face for the others but it hurt that Tommy left.

"Are you alright?" Adam asked Kim dragging her attention back to the conversation.

"Yea, hopefully there won't be any bad side effects." She said with a smile and hoped that no one noticed her pain.

"No what I hope is that there are no side effects." Jason said as everyone laughed. Kim finally started opening up and enjoying herself with her friends. They were outside of the Command Center talking. She thought back to the last two days. It had been a wild ride with being captured and then turned evil by being dropped into a lava pit with Jason. She was so glad that the rangers were there and that Lerigot was able to turn Jason and her back to normal. Her thoughts turned back to Tommy and wished for the hundredth time that she had never sent that letter. After a while she finally settled down and enjoyed her friends. She stayed there with the rangers talking about everything. She also told them about the letter when Kat had suddenly asked her about it. She told them that she was wrong to send that letter and that she was sorry to have hurt Tommy that way. They all forgave her and accepted that this was between Kim and Tommy. She left with a lighter heart than when she came. She would only need to tell Tommy but it had to be when the time was right and right now the time was not right.

XXXX

_A few Weeks Later_

Kim was picking up her apartment. It was a total mess from her trip to Angel Grove a few weeks ago. She had the music up loud as she gathered up clothes that needed to be washed. Suddenly she heard the phone ringing and took off running toward it. She was out of breath by the time she reached it.

"Hello?" She said in a huff pushing her hair back from her forehead.

"Kim, it's me Jason. Are you busy?" He asked her. She looked around her apartment and sighed. If Jason was calling and sounding like he lost his cat then she better listen. Her gut also told her that something was wrong.

"No, I was just picking up a little. What's wrong?" She asked him as she sat down on the couch.

"It's Tommy, he needs your help." He said in a rush.

"I'm on my way." She said as she jumped up and ran to the computer. She pulled up Northwest website to book her flight back to Angel Grove.

"You're not even going to ask why?" Jason said bringing her back to the fact that Jason was still on the phone.

"No because just knowing that he needs my help is enough." She said as she hung up the phone. She booked her flight and walked back to her room to get clean clothes and her bag. Her flight was in an hour so she had to book it. Tommy needed her.

XXXX

Tommy sat on his rock by the lake thinking of all the times he had come here to think. It was where Kim had found him after he lost his Green Ranger powers the first time and the first time he kissed Kim. It was the perfect place for him to come and think. He just stared out over the lake before picking up a rock next him and tossing it into the water. He watched as the ripples made their way to him from where he had thrown the rock. He would never come here again to think about ranger problems because he was no longer a ranger. It was hard for him to take in. He had handed over his powers to T.J. He didn't worry about them because they were in great hands. There was no one better suited to be the Red Turbo Ranger than T.J. He just wished that he could talk about what he was feeling with not having powers any longer. It was different from the last time he lost his powers because he willingly gave them up this time. There was only one person that he would ever talk to about it and she was across the country enjoying her life with her new boyfriend. He had forgiven her long ago because there was no use being mad at her for following her heart. Setting her free had helped him become a better man. He just wished that her heart had led her back to him. He still talked to her every now and then but it was different. Every time they talked it was like they were both holding back a part of themselves. It hurt him to hold it back but it was for his sanity that he did. He would have given her the world if she only had let him. He sat there for a long time before sensing someone behind him. Before he even turned, he knew who he would see. It was like he had brought her here with his thoughts.

"I heard about your powers." She said as she got closer to him. When Jason had picked her up at the airport, he filled her in. She was dressed in a pink sundress that just skimmed her knees. Her hair was half pulled back in a clip of some kind and she had on pink flip-flops. Overall she was the same girl that he had fallen in love with only a few short years ago. She even smelled the same.

"Jason tell you?" He asked as she sat down next to him. It was so natural to be there with her even though he had not seen her in a while. The last time he saw her was after the tournament that he, Jason, and Adam had won for Angel Grove. He had barely gotten to talk to her then because they had just got their turbo powers and she and Jason had just come back from being evil. He could still remember the hate in her eyes at that time. He wished now he would've made the time to talk to her instead of letting her go once again but he was in too much pain then.

"Yea, he did. I thought that you could use someone to talk too." She said not looking at him. It was probably for the best that she didn't look at him because he felt like a failure. He knew that it was his time to give up his powers but it was still hard being without them after all this time.

"What makes you think that I need to talk? I'm not that boy anymore." He said referring to his Green Ranger days.

"You will always carry that boy with you though and I know you better than that. You need someone to talk to and you refuse to talk to the others. They are happy to turn over their powers but you feel that you have failed Zordon and the others for having a life now." She said to him. He realized that she did know him because that was exactly how he felt.

"How do you know me so well?" He asked her as he turned to look at her. She turned at the same time. It was like the first time they had met all over again. There was still a spark of magic between and he knew that there would always be. They had chemistry that not many people ever experienced. It pulled them together even now.

"Because I felt the same way, I felt that I had let everyone down when I chose to follow my dreams. It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity but so is being a ranger. Zordon chose me to defend the Earth from Rita then from Zedd but I chose to pursue my dream. I felt like I had turned my back on my team and Zordon but I didn't. He knew that it was my time to live my life just like its yours now to live your life. Everyone else has big plans like Kat is with the London Dance studio and Tanya is working on a record deal. Adam is going off to college and Justin is helping the newest rangers in their journey. Its your turn to find out what you want to do." She said as she took his hand. He looked down at the sight of her small hand holding his larger one and thought about what she had said. It was his turn to find his dream.

"I don't know what to do." He whispered to her in pain. Being a ranger had been a big part of his life for so long; he no longer knew what he could do. He was a high school graduate but had no clue what he wanted to do.

"I think that you do but you don't want to go for it for fear of failing like you think you did as a ranger. You just have to look deeper to see what you heart holds." She said to him. He thought about that for a minute then turned back to the lake. They sat there in silence until she spoke once again.

"Do you forgive me for writing that letter?" She asked him. He turned to look at her but she didn't meet his eye.

"What do you mean? Why would I need to forgive you for writing what was in your heart? We drifted apart." He said as she looked up at him. He saw the tears pooled in her eyes but couldn't think of why she would be crying.

"I wrote that letter for my sake. I never met anyone but I was going insane with you being here and me being there. I never meant to hurt you but it was the only thing I could think of at the time." She said as she looked down again. He sat there for what seemed like an eternity before looking back at her. The letter that had ripped his world to shreds was a lie. He knew that he couldn't be mad at her for sending the letter even though it was a lie. He didn't know what had pushed her to send the letter but he did forgive her because it was Kim and he loved her more than he could ever hate her.

"I do forgive you because it was something that you had felt was right for you. I know it must have been hard to be down there by your self and all your friends over 3,000 miles away." He said as he placed his hand under her chin and raising her face to his.

"Are you sure because I know it was mean." She asked him.

"Yes I am sure because we are friends but what are you going to do?" He asked her.

"My life is still in Florida right now but the moment its not, I am coming back here." She said to him. He knew that he would wait for her to come back because no one would ever make him feel this way. It was like he was only complete when she was near.

"I understand and I will be here waiting for you when you come back." He said as he pulled her closer to hug her. They stayed like for only a short bit before Kim leaned back and gained her feet. He looked up at her.

"I have to go but find your dream, Tommy." She said as she turned away from him and walked away. He would do as she asked. He would find his dream that did not include Power Rangers or Kim. He could this because he had to do this.

XXXX

Kim turned and looked at Tommy one more time. Sighing she turned back to see a Red truck with Jason leaning against the hood.

"Is he alright?" Jason asked as she drew closer.

"No but he will be." She said as she stopped in front of him.

"Then why are you leaving him out there? I called you to fix him!" Jason said through his teeth.

"I can't fix him this time; he needs to do this on his own. He needs to find out who he is without the power. This is his time." She said as she walked over to him. She stopped just a few feet in front of him.

"I'm sorry, Kim." He said as he wrapped his arms around her. She cried into his chest at the thought of Tommy hurting but she couldn't do anything. Jason just let her cry as he rubbed his hands down her back. He was in pain at the thought of both of his best friends hurting. This was between them now though and he had to stay out of it.

XXXX

"Can I help you?" A tall man dressed in overalls asked Tommy as he got out of his car.

"Yea, my uncle works here and I need to see him." He said to the man as he walked closer. The man was dressed in overalls with oil stains. He was a typical mechanic.

"Who is your uncle, young man?" The man asked as he leaned against the door jam. He was holding what look like a muffler from a racecar. Tommy couldn't be sure but it looked like it was the newest model that had taken the track by storm.

"His name is Earl and he owns this shop." Tommy said standing just a little straighter.

"Yea I own the shop and how are you son?" His Uncle Earl asked from behind the man. He was also dressed in overalls that were stained with grease and transmission fluid. It was how he always looked when Tommy came to visit.

"I'm good." He said walking over to his mother's brother.

"That's good and I see that you still have that long hair. How is Kimberly? You still seeing her?" He asked as he threw a heavy arm around Tommy's shoulders.

"I like my hair long and Kim is fine but no I am not seeing her. We are on a break since she is in Florida." Tommy said as his uncle led him into his office.

"Oh well she will come back but what can I do for you?" He asked as he shut his door. He noticed that his guys got back to work since the mystery of the long hair boy was solved.

"I need a job and I know that you are looking for a driver." Tommy said laying it all out on the line. He had finally come to the conclusion that he could drive race cars. He loved his Turbo car and a race car wasn't much different than Red Lighting. He knew that if he could handle the Turbo car then he could handle a race car.

"Now just cause you are family doesn't mean that I can just give you the job. You have to earn it just like all my employees do." He said with a smile. Tommy knew that he could prove his merit if given the chance.

"Let me show you." He said simply.

"You crash my car and you are paying for it." Earl said as he led Tommy out to the practice track in back. He led Tommy to the locker room and pointed to the fire suits against the wall and helmets on the counter. He then left Tommy alone to change and prepare himself for the ride of his life. Tommy smiled as he stripped to his boxers and got into the fire suit that was green, white, and red. It was like his calling with all his ranger colors on it. This was what he was meant to do.

XXXX

Kim walked into the gym and smiled. She was ready to start training once again but this time instead of training for Pan Globals; she would train for the Olympics. This time it was a lot different than when she had come here a year ago. She was more confident in her abilities and this was her dream. She had to live this out to wherever it would take her.

"Welcome back, Kimberly." An older man said to her as he walked over to her. He stopped just short of her and smiled.

"Thank you, Coach. Its good to be back." She said as she walked to the locker room. There she changed into her pink leotard. It had a faint outline of a falcon and crane in white. She smiled when she saw herself in the mirror. It was like coming home again. She walked back out to the gym and smiled at her teammates as she made her way to the beam. It was her favorite event and it was also her best. She had gotten the gold at the Pans for it. Now she was going to step out of her comfort zone and push her performance to the next level. She had too if she wanted Gold. She stepped onto the blue mat and raised her arms up with her fingers pointed out and a smile on her face. She lowered her arms and flipped up onto the beam. Breathing out, she flipped back and landed on her hands. She went through her entire routine and flipped back off the beam without missing a step. Her coach made his way over to her and she turned to face him.

"You have gotten better Kimberly in the two months that I gave you for a break." He said with a smile.

"I couldn't stay off the beam for two months. It was calling my name." She told him as she walked over to the mat to run through her routine of flips, round-offs, and cart wheels. When she finished up for the day, she wondered about Tommy. She wondered if he was on his way to finding his dream.

XXXX

"Kim, please don't worry about me." Tommy said over the phone. He had called her to tell her that he was racing now and to hear how she was doing.

"Tommy, it doesn't matter how many times you tell me that, I will always worry about you. I will watch you though and remember may the power protect you." She said as they said their goodbyes. She had class and he had a race to get too. Their lives were miles apart but at least they were living their lives without being wrapped up in the Ranger world. This was a great start for them.

XXXX

_Six Months Later_

"Kim, why do we have to watch this? Its not even the major race only the qualifier." Sandy said to her roommate. They had shared a loft since Kim had moved to Florida. It was next to the gym where they trained so that they could walk instead of drive everyday.

"One of my best friends is racing and this is his first race." She said as she grabbed the popcorn and sat down next to Sandy.

"Which one is it? You have so many best friends." Sandy said with a smile. She had always thought that you could only have one best friend, maybe two but that was not the case with Kim. She had like 10 and she was really close to them as well. One of them called at least once a week just to check up on her.

"Tommy." Kim said simply ignoring the little jump in her pulse at just the mention of his name. It happened every time she said his name.

"Your ex? Why are you still friends with him?" Sandy asked her in shock.

"We are still close friends even though we used to date because we were friends before we dated." Kim said as the tv cut back to more of the races. Kim was so excited about seeing Tommy on the tv and also happy that he had found his dream even though it scared her to death. He handled the car with an ease that Kim thought only a ranger would have. He was an excellent driver but even the best drivers make mistakes. It was a fact of life.

"We also share many of the same friends and besides I have known him since freshman year of high school. We are close even though we broke up." Kim said before turning back to watch the action that was taking place on screen. Tommy's heat was up next and it was a difficult one but he could do.

XXXX

"Man, shut up because Tommy is up next." Jason said as Rocky and Adam turned to look at their roommate. They had all decided to live together while they were in college.

"He is going to do fine." Rocky said as he grabbed the popcorn and walked over to the couch. Adam had the drinks and sat on the other side of the couch. Since they were in college they didn't have but one couch that had seen its better days but they were broke. It served its purpose.

"I know but I still have to watch him." Jason said as he grabbed his coke from Adam.

"Yea we know and if we weren't friends and former teammates then we would kick your butt. You are a pig Jason. Look at the pile of empty wrappers, cans of coke, and popcorn at your feet." Adam said which caused Rocky to start laughing. It was a fact that the girls refused to come and visit them because their house was a mess. Sometimes the girls took pity on them and came in to clean every few weeks.

"I'll get to that after Tommy's race." He said never taking his eyes off the huge tv in the corner of the room.

"Yea okay." Rocky said as he grabbed his drink from Adam and they settled in to watch Tommy's qualifying round. It was his first race on this circuit and they were all nervous about him moving up so fast. It was only six months ago that he had even thought about racing and Jason still worried about him. He knew that somewhere in Florida Kim was watching Tommy climb in that car just as he was. She was probably biting her nails that had once been painted pink. Elsewhere other former rangers were watching their former leader climb into the car and take his practice lap around that circle.

XXXX

"_And there you have it folks, the kid from California showing you how's it done. In his first appearance on this circuit, Tommy Oliver claims first place in his heat thus placing him well in tomorrow's race. He will be the one to look at as he made this track look like it was nothing but straight." _The announcer said as Kim turned off her tv. She looked down at her nails and saw that they were nothing and the paint was long gone. Tommy had done well but she had been nervous the whole time. How would she ever keep her promise to watch him race if just his qualifier tore her up. She got up and took her dishes to the sink so that she could wash them in the morning. It was time for bed and to put her mind at ease. He was safe to race another day and that day was too soon for Kim. She also had a meet tomorrow that she needed to rest up for.

XXXX

"Tommy, why are you watching gymnastics?" His uncle asked him as he came into the travel trailer.

"Kim is competing today and I promised her that I would watch." Tommy said as he shifted the ice bag around his knee. He had taken a beaten his first weekend out and now his body was letting him know it.

"Kim, does she still call every night even though you are on break?" His uncle asked him as he grabbed a drink from the fridge.

"Yea and she said hi." Tommy said with a smile.

"Well that's nice but I guess that I better leave you in peace to watch your girl perform. Remember to not keep that ice on you knee all night." His uncle said as he walked back out. Tommy smiled and said okay before turning back to watch Kim walk out. He smiled bigger when he saw her leotard. It was pink and white with green dots on it. He knew that it was a nod to their past. He thought about the racing team and smiled again. Falcon racing was his idea and his uncle had agreed to it. His car was white with a green falcon on it. He had design the entire thing along with his fire suit. He was brought back to the present when he heard Kim's name. He sat back and watched her new routines on the floor, uneven bars, but more importantly he watched her on the beam. She performed each move with the beauty and grace that had made her the crane in the first place. He was proud of her and wished that he could rush to her and give her a big hug. He would have a dozen pink roses ready for her when she stepped off the blue mat. He felt bad for not being there for her even though they had agreed that this was better for them.

XXXX

_This weekend was a great one for the citizens of Angel Grove not only do they have the Power Rangers but also two of sport's most outstanding athletes. Tommy Oliver and Kimberly Hart showed the world that more than rangers live in Angel Grove. Tommy new to the world of racing took home the hardware and the money of first place. Kimberly who was first at the Pans last year showed the world that once again she had what it took to take home the Gold. Both are in great positions to take it all the way. I know that this sportscaster is keeping his eye on this couple. _

XXXX

"Wow they even share the news together." Aisha said with a laugh as she finished the dishes. She didn't know why she ever came over to the boys' apartment because she ended of cleaning.

"I say that they both take home the gold this year." Rocky said from the living room.

"Are you going to bet against him Jase?" Adam asked him.

"No because that would mean that I don't have faith in Tommy and Kim. I know that they can win." Jason said as he got and walked to his room. He thought that it was funny that Tommy and Kim were both on the news for their sports. Even though they were three thousand miles apart, they were together.

XXXX

Okay what did everyone think? Please let me know. Again this story starts in the years between Turbo and Forever Red. I wanted to show Tommy and Kim during those years and how they are becoming the adults they are meant to be. The next chapter should be out soon.


	2. Stepping Up

A/N: I wanted to start and say thank you to everyone who reviewed the first chapter and added it to your alert list. Also another big thanks to my beta mykkila09 without whom this story would not be. I don't own anything but the concept and I hope that everyone likes this chapter.

XXXX

"Kim, are you ready for this?" Her teammate asked her as they loaded the bus. They were on their way to Nationals. It was a big deal for Kim.

"Yea, I am." Kim said with a smile. She grabbed her bag that was on the ground beside her. Hauling it over her shoulder, she got on the bus and found her a seat by the window. Since they were on a chartered bus, she put her bag above her head in the storage there. She had a book and her CD player out for the ride. The CD was the music that she would perform to at Nationals. She wanted to run through her routine in her head until she knew it in her sleep. She opened her book but before she read the first word she looked out the window and thought of Tommy. He would be on the track this weekend in Daytona. It was too ironic that he was going to be an hour from her apartment and she won't be there. No, she would be in Columbia, SC completing in front of the whole nation while he was sitting in a car for several hours.

XXXX

"Tommy, man where are you?" His uncle asked him as he sat down next to him. They were in the RV this week for the race in Daytona.

"I was thinking that if it were not for the fact that Kim is in Columbia I could go see her." Tommy sighed as he leaned back against the head rest.

"Why is that girl going to be in Columbia? I would've thought that she would want to watch you race since you are going to be so close." His uncle said before taking a drink.

"She is completing at Nationals this weekend." Tommy said before getting up and walking over to the fridge. He grabbed a coke before walking back over to the sofa.

"How long has it been since you last saw her?" Earl asked his nephew. He could tell that Tommy was sad that Kim would not be here for this race.

"About a year but we talk almost every day." Tommy said as he closed his eyes. Earl didn't say anything more. He just let his nephew sit there and think. He turned his seat so that he could see the road and started talking to the driver. They were about 300 miles from the track and the sooner that they got there the better at least then Tommy could get out of the RV. Tommy opened his eyes and stared out the front windshield. He was ready for this weekend and couldn't wait to watch Kim win the Gold and her place on the National team because she would. He had faith in her.

XXXX

"Hey guys I'm losing tire pressure. I am going to bring it in after one more lap." Tommy said through his headset.

"You got it boss." His crew chief said as Tommy smiled. He made sure to keep it to the outside for this lap before making his move over to the inside lane. He had to make the pit before the next lap because his tires were losing pressure fast.

"Okay guys, I'm coming in." Tommy said as he pulled in the pit lane. He slowed to the proper speed before stopping at his pit. He sat there as his crews changed all four tires and gassed him up in less than 10 seconds. His car was lowered and he took off. He was back in the race no worse for the wear. Looking at his lap count made him smile. He only had 106 laps to go and then he would watch Kim going for the Gold. The competition was already going on because his uncle was feeding him updates whenever Kim preformed.

"Yo, Tommy, your girl is up on the beam in two minutes." His uncle said cutting into his thoughts. He smiled because that was her best event and he only wished that he could watch her.

"Thanks, Uncle Earl. Let me know when she is finished." Tommy said as he heard the pit crew laughing. They all thought that it was funny that their star driver wanted to know results of a gymnastics competition of a girl he was not dating.

XXXX

"Just breathe." Kim said to herself as she walked over to the beam. She raised her arms up and smiled to the crowd. As she lowered her arms, she took another deep breath before flipping onto the beam. She stood then released her breath and flipped backwards. She landed on her hands before flipping back. As she completed another flip, she raised her arms and raised her left leg straight out behind her before squaring up and flipping sideways to land on her hands. She was smiling now as she rocked down on the beam and straddled it. She brought her hands under her and raised her body up on just her hands then lifted her legs up and over her head. When she completed that move she was doing a full handstand on the beam and she held that for a few seconds. Flipping once again, she was at the edge of the beam. She then completed the remaining part of her routine and did a half tuck flip off the beam and landed on the blue mat. Raising her arms up as she smiled because she knew that she had done her best. She didn't even take a step back when she landed which would score very high for the competition. She walked off the mat and joined her teammates in the corner and waited for her scores.

"And with that performance, the beam rotation is complete. In first place is Kimberly Hart, firmly in second place is…" The announcer said as Kim smiled. She didn't hear who else was in the top ten. This placed her very well for tomorrow's final round. She only hoped that Tommy was doing this well.

XXXX

"Tommy, she is in first and I must tell you that I have never seen anyone do what she did on four inches of wood." His uncle said into his ear. Tommy was grinning as he looked at the lap counter again less than a hundred to go.

"Thanks, Uncle Earl and yes she is very good." Tommy said as he pictured Kim going through her new routine at Nationals. She was going to blow them away tomorrow when she was unleashed on the beam.

XXXX

"Hey beautiful, I heard that you blew them away today." Tommy said as he sat down outside of the RV. The guys were all inside watching something on tv.

"Tommy, I'm so glad that you called and yes I showed them how we do it in Angel Grove. I also watched you take first awesome job driving today." Kim said as she leaned against the railing outside of her hotel. She didn't want the girls listening in on her phone call with Tommy. They always picked at her after she got off the phone. After today she didn't want to deal with them. She missed Tommy in the stands but at least he knew that she was in first place.

"Oh yea the car was smoking but I felt that you were right there beside me." He told her as silence reign through the phone.

"I know what you mean. I felt you right beside me on the beam. It was like I was only performing for you." She said into the night.

"How big was that beam then? I know that you can balance on four inches of wood but I can't." He said breaking the tension.

"Oh I think that you could do it, mister karate master but I better let you go. I need to get in bed and be ready for tomorrow." She said.

"Yea I do too good night beautiful." He said as she said goodnight. He hung up the phone and stared into the night sky. He wished that they were closer but for right now that was impossible. His phone started vibrated and he glanced down and saw the name. With a grin he answered the phone.

"Have you called Kim yet?" He asked in lieu of a hello.

"Yea just got off the phone with Miss First place, how are you?" Jason asked with a laugh.

"I'm good but tell me how everyone else is? Since I'm the road now more than ever I never get to talk to anyone." Tommy said as he leaned forward in the lawn chair.

"We're all good and so torn as to who to watch on tv. I mean you are good and all but I have to watch my lil sis since I have been watching her, my whole life." Jason said with a laugh that Tommy joined in. They talked into the night but Tommy started yawning so he told Jason good night and hung up. He then stood up and stretched before walking into the RV. The guys were all passed out in living room as Tommy stepped over them to get to the bed at the back. He finally made it to the back and shut the door. Stripping down to his boxers, he got into bed and closed his eyes. His thoughts centered on Kim and her competition tomorrow. She was going to kill them tomorrow at that meet.

XXXX

"Guys settle down!" Trini screamed through the apartment. Everyone turned to look at her. She was standing in the kitchen wishing the dishes. The others were in the living room all ready for the competition to come on.

"Okay we will just hurry up or you will miss this." Aisha hollered back at her.

"I'm on my way." She said with a smile. They had been waiting for this all week. It was the moment that would define a lifetime of practice for Kim.

"I'm so nervous for her." Kat said as she sat down in front of Billy. She had come in from tour to watch Kim with everyone. The only one missing was Tommy but he was close enough to her.

XXXX

Tommy opened his eyes and realized that they were moving. Panicking he jumped up and grabbed his shorts before busing through the door and into the main cab.

"What's going on?" He asked as his uncle looked up at him.

"We are going home but I wanted to take a detour." Earl told him nephew. This was his surprise for him.

"Where are we going?" Tommy asked as he leaned against the counter. He rubbed his eyes and looked back at his uncle.

"Columbia and I think that you need to get ready for a certain girl in pink." Earl said as Tommy just looked at him before heading back to the bedroom. It took Tommy all of five minutes to get dressed and come back out. He was wearing a white tank top with a pair of blue jeans that looked like he had been wearing them all through high school. Tommy sat on the couch in his own little world. He was going to see Kim.

XXXX

"Kimberly, why are you not pacing?" One of her teammates asked her as Kim looked up at her. She smiled and shook her head.

"I'm not nervous but if you don't sit down you are going to wear a hole in the carpet." Kim said with a laugh.

"Girl if I were you I would be a wreck." The girl said to Kim.

"Well we have to go, let's go." Kim said standing up and walking out to get on the bus.

XXXX

The RV pulled up outside of the gym and Tommy jumped out. Everyone else would be hanging out somewhere else while Tommy watched Kim compete. He walked into the gym and sighed. He was so close now all he had to do was find her. Looking around the room he noticed that everyone stood up. He glanced down and saw that Kim's gym was walking out on the floor. Grinning he made his way to the floor, so that he could see Kim perform up close. She was the last one from her gym and she was waving to the crowd. Since she was in first, she got the choice to go first or last. Tommy knew that she would go last just to push her to do better than she had before. He finally found a seat behind where Kim was seated. The crowd stayed standing as the National Anthem was played before the first girl got on the beam. He watched as several girls took their place at different sections. One girl was running toward the vault was one was flipping around the blue mat for their floor routine. There was another girl on the beam while one still was on the uneven bars. This was so great and Tommy was glad that he was here to watch her.

"They are good, aren't they?" The woman next to him asked.

"Yea they are." He said smiling at her. Finally after what seemed like hours, Kim stood up. He clapped as she walked over to the uneven bars. He sat in silence as the crowd cheered. She jumped up on the small bar and spun around it to launch onto the other bar. She rotated and spun around on the bar before letting go and flipping three times before her feet touched the mat. She raised her arms up and smiled as he smiled. He watched as she then got ready to do her vault. He held his breath as she took off running and flipped touching just her hands on the vault and landing it perfect on the other side. He watched her take her place and start her floor routine. It was the most difficult routine he had seen her ever try. The only event left for her was the beam and he couldn't wait. It was her favorite and his.

XXXX

Kim could feel Tommy's presence all around her but didn't know why. She took a calming breath before raising her arms up and smiling for the crowd. She then lowered her arms and took another breath before back flipping onto the beam. It was a move that not very many girls attempted because it was very dangerous. You could misjudge the distance and hit your head or not even hit the beam at all. Kim wanted to do that move because it meant that her routine was pushed to the next level for Nationals. She did her routine without missing a beat and then cart wheeled off it and landed with her feet together and not back step. She raised her arms and smiled bright because she had just completed the most difficult routine she had ever done. Her teammates ran up to her as she received her scores.

"With that this competition is over and in first place is the sweetheart from Angel Grove, Kimberly Hart." The announcer said as Tommy rushed down to the mat. Kim smiled as the girls parted behind her. She felt him before he even said anything.

"Kimberly." He said as she spun around. He grabbed her up and swung her around above his head before setting her back down.

"Tommy, you're here." She said as she hugged his neck. He laughed in her ear as the announcer came back on to announce the National team.

"Ladies and Gentleman this year's National team is in order; Kimberly Anne Hart…" Tommy let her go as she took her place on the podium and leaned over to receive her Gold Medal and roses. She smiled and straightened up to meet Tommy's eye. He was smiling from ear to ear as was she.

XXXX

"Are you sure that you have to go?" Kim asked as she raised her head from his shoulder. They were in the park where his uncle's RV was parked. He had suggested it so that they could some alone time.

"Yea, I do but I'm so glad that I got to see you when you go the Gold." He said as he took her hand in his.

"Me too." She said looking from his eyes to the lake that they were sitting by.

"Kim, you are going to kill them at the Olympics. I just wish that I could be there." He said drawing her eyes back to him.

"Well I wish that I could watch you at your race. Why do they have to be the same weekend?" She said.

"Who knows but you will be in that car with me the entire time and I will be on that beam with you." He said with a laugh as his uncle walked up to them.

"I'm sorry but we have to go." Earl said as they stood up.

"Thank you for letting Tommy come and see me." Kim said as she walked over to Earl and hugged him He smiled before hugging her back.

"You are welcome, my dear." He said as she took a step back and turning back to Tommy.

"I'll call you later." Tommy said as he leaned over and kissed her cheek. She smiled and grabbed his head before kissing him square on the lips. She released him before walking back to the gym where her teammates were getting their stuff together. She was smiling as she made her way back to the bus.

XXXX

"I thought you two were on break." His uncle said as Tommy watched Kim walk back to her bus.

"We are." Tommy said as he turned back to the RV. He didn't want to leave Kim here but they would see each other sometime soon because their seasons were almost over.

XXXX

Okay so what did everyone think? Please let me know. The next chapter should be out soon. Also I do not watch racing of any kind so I am just going on what little I know about racing and for the purpose of this story, their seasons are taking place at the same time.


	3. Learning the Way

A/N: I don't own anything. I hope that everyone enjoys this chapter. Thanks again to everyone who reads and reviews the chapters. You make me want to post the next chapter sooner and thanks again to my lovely beta mykkila09. You are one in a million girl.

XXXX

"Tommy is there? How did that happen?" Jason screamed at the tv. The others smiled and thought that it was very telling that Tommy was there as Kim took home the Gold.

"You should ask one of them." Trini pointed out while she was trying to hold back her laughter. She loved watching Jason scream at the tv and since it was Tommy and Kim, it was even better.

"I will have too since none of you know." Jason said as he looked for the phone. He would call Kim first because he also wanted to congratulate her. He finally found the phone and went to his bedroom to call her.

XXXX

Kim was dozing when she felt her phone vibrate in her pocket. She opened her eyes and pulled out her phone and smiled at the name on the ID.

"Hey Jase." She said.

"Kim, I'm glad that you answered and first let me say that me and everyone here wants to say we are proud of you for earning the Gold." He said as he sat on his bed.

"Thank you and please tell everyone else thanks. Now tell me the real reason that you are calling at this moment." She said when she heard his huff. She called his bluff because there had to be a reason he was calling at this very moment. He normally called a day after any competition.

"Okay so yea I wanted to know why our fearless leader was there with you in Columbia when I saw him race yesterday in Daytona." He said with a smirk that she could just picture on his face.

"His uncle surprised him with a visit to see me and before you ask yes we are still on break." She said as she looked out the window. The miles just rolled by as she talked to Jason for another 30 minutes. When she got off the phone, she closed her eyes and thought about Tommy. He should be closing in on Memphis soon. She picked up her phone and started dialing his number before she hit the end button and put away her phone. It wouldn't do any good to call him right now. Tonight would be soon enough.

XXXX

Tommy hung up his phone after talking to Jason. He was smiling after thinking about what his best friend had discussed with him. Jason had wanted to know why if Tommy and Kim were on break were they seen together. He was still so happy that he got to see Kim today. She still looked the same. He leaned back against the cushion and closed his eyes. They had a long drive ahead of them but at least they had a month to rest up and prepare for the last race of the season. He was in a great position for the race. Kim was right because he was finding his way and he loved her for that. She left him broken so that he had to do this his own way. He thought about what he wanted to do after this last race. It was something that he was not looking forward too. He would have to find something else to do because he couldn't race for the rest of his life. He thought about the rangers and Angel Grove. It was the first time that he had thought about the rangers in six months. It was his past now and he was happy to leave it there. He looked back on his time as a ranger and realized that he was not a failure. How could he have ever thought that he was a failure, that Zordon was punishing him? Zordon knew that he was destined to be something more, something that he had to find out for himself.

XXXX

"Chin up, Kimberly!" Her coach yelled at her while she was on the beam. She was tired and her body was weak but she wanted to be the best at the Olympics. Sweat was pouring down her back and she held back a sigh as she lifted her chin another notch.

"Now I want you to flip back into a half tuck." Coach said as Kim did as she was told. She stumbled then fell off the beam.

"Again, again." Her coach said as she got back on the beam and did the move that he requested. She fell again and again before she finally got it right.

"Good now a half twist with full tuck off the beam." He said as Kim did what was asked. She landed on the mat and had to take the half step back before sliding her foot back up to the other one. She raised her arms up and smiled.

"You must run through it again." He said as Kim sighed and flipped back on the beam. She ran through the routine once again and landed but again she stepped back.

"Okay I think that its time for a break." He said as he walked away from Kim. She sank down on the mat with her knees tucked up in her chest. She was so tired that she wanted longer than just a break but she had to get back up on that beam. Standing up, she walked over to her bag to grab her bottle of water and a towel. Sitting down again, she wiped her face and neck before taking a drink. It was times like this that she wanted to crawl up and sleep until next year maybe then her body would quit hurting.

"Kimberly, break is over." Her coach said from across the gym. She took one last drink before she stood up and threw her water and towel on her bag. She had to push through the pain and get back on the beam.

XXXX

"Tommy! Wake up and get in the groove." His uncle yelled through the headset. Tommy shook his head and took the inside lane. He was so tired that he was messing up. Glancing down at his tire and oil pressure and saw that they were both low. He knew that he better get in the pit before his car went down.

"Where are you today?" His uncle asked as Tommy climbed out of the car. He pulled off his helmet and looked at him.

"I don't know." Tommy said as he walked over to a bench and sat down. Looking at his nephew Earl shook his head and walked over to the car. He helped his guys look the car over and did what needed to be done. He looked up at Tommy again and sighed. He hoped that that boy talked to Kim tonight. They couldn't afford for him to have anything go wrong between now and the big race.

"Go, you are done for today." Earl told Tommy as he nodded and stood up. Tommy walked back to the apartment that he had at the edge of the track. He couldn't wait to get out these clothes and in the shower. His body was covered in sweat and grit from the track. Opening the door, he stepped in and took a deep breath. His apartment was an icebox the way he liked it. He shut the door and made his way back to his bedroom so that he could strip and jump in the shower. Ten minutes later, Tommy stepped back into his bedroom with a towel wrapped around his lower body. He felt so much better that he was almost human again. It was almost time to call Kim and he couldn't wait to see how her day had gone.

XXXX

Kim was humming as she stepped out the shower. She had a towel wrapped around her hair and another one around her body. It was unbelievable how much better a shower made her feel. She was still aching but at least the sweat was off her body. Walking into her room, she took off the towel on her head. She threw that in the laundry basket in the corner. She needed to find some clothes so she walked over to her closet and found a soft pink t-shirt and a pair of blue jean shorts. It was time to make her nightly call across the country so she found her phone and walked back to the living room to make her call.

"Hello." Tommy said after the first ring. He must've been sitting on the phone waiting for her call.

"Hi, how are you?" She asked sitting down with a sigh on the couch.

"Tired but feeling more alive after my shower, how about you?" He asked her.

"The same but for some reason my shower has breathe new life into my very tired body. It was a killer day on the beam with a lot of me falling." She told him.

"Are you alright?" He asked sounding very concerned.

"Yea I am. I didn't hit my head only my knees and elbows. Coach wants me to push my routine to the next level." She said to him.

"You are already great. What is the next level for you?" He asked.

"He wants to add more flips and tucks and a harder dismount. I'm fine, Tommy. Coach knows what he is doing." She said to calm him down.

"If you're sure, I just worry about you and I'm not there to make sure that you are resting between practices." He said in a quiet voice. He was lying on his couch trying not to move too much.

"Well at least I'm not out saving the world while I practice." She said with a laugh.

"Too true, too true." He said with a laugh.

"Now tell me about your day. You said that you were tired too." She said as she stood up to go to the kitchen. Her stomach was rumbling.

"Oh I couldn't concentrate and messed up too many things. I let the tire and oil pressure get too low and was just off my game all around. My uncle sent me to my apartment early." He said as he got up to get something to eat.

"What are the chances that we both have off days on the same day?" She asked as she bit into her sandwich that she had just made. It was a tuna fish sandwich one of her favorites.

"Who knows? Maybe we are more in contact that we know." He said with a laugh as he grabbed the pizza box in his fridge. He loved cold pizza.

"I guess but I hear my roommate coming in so I need to get off and talk to her. I hope you have a better day tomorrow." She said to him.

"I hope you do too." He said as he said his goodbyes. She said goodbye and they both hung up the phone. It was one of the joys of their days to talk to each other.

XXXX

_A Week Later_

"Great job, Kimberly." Her coach said as she did her routine perfectly and landed it with no step back. She would have to move on to the floor routine that he wanted her to step up as well. Thanks goodness her uneven bars and vault had already been worked on. Her coach demanded perfection and she wanted to give that to him. She would bring him and the United States the Gold Medal this year. She had too.

XXXX

"Boy you are flying. What has gotten into you?" Earl asked as Tommy laughed into his headset. He had been breaking all his records today and was in the zone.

"I think I can finally see the end." Tommy said which caused the crew all to laugh and watch as Tommy made two more laps around the track before bringing it in.

"I think I see that driver I have been waiting for." His uncle said as Tommy climbed out of the car. He removed his helmet and smiled. He was on his A game today.

XXXX

_Two Weeks Later _

"Okay I want to make sure that car is not harmed so be careful." Earl said as his men nodded.

"Calm down we are going to be okay and the car will be fine." Tommy said as his uncle looked at him.

"You're right. I will go and leave them to do their job." He said as the men all clapped. Tommy smiled at them and watched them get everything into the trailer for the race. It was a big weekend for them and Tommy was ready to get on the track. His only regret was that he couldn't be in the crowd to see Kim take the Gold. He just knew that she would take home the Gold. It was her dream.

XXXX

"Kimberly, come on or we are going to be late." Sarah said as she ran up to her. Kim looked at her teammate and smiled. She was ready to get on the road.

"I'm coming." She said as she grabbed her bag and smiled. This was the biggest weekend of her life. Her one regret was that she could not watch Tommy on his biggest weekend as well.

XXXX

"Okay so we have both tvs in here so that one will have the Olympics and the other on racing." Rocky said as everyone nodded. They were so excited to see their two best friends performing at their top events. It was too awesome not to be excited and ready for this weekend.

"Rocko, we know this so why are you telling us?" Adam asked as he leaned against the door jam.

"I just thought that I would fill the girls in." He said as they all laughed.

"Okay whatever anyway Kim is up first since they have opening ceremonies and then of course gymnastics is not until the weekend. I'm guessing that Kim and Tommy will be getting updates on each other." Trini said.

"You're right they will stay updated on each other and hopefully they will both bring home the hardware." Aisha pointed out to them.

XXXX

"Okay girls, I know that I have pushed you hard these past of weeks but it has all been for this one moment in your lives. This is the biggest stage that you will ever compete. I want you to smile through your routines, make each flip count, and most of all do your best." The coach said to them as they waited their turn to walk the arena. Kim took a deep breath to calm her nerves. This was the best moment in her life being here. She thought on other great moments in her life and most of them centered on one boy and being a ranger. She was doing this for only herself. She heard the United States and she smiled. Since she was team captain, she would lead the girls out. It was her right that she had earned after everything. Thinking back to Angel Grove and practicing on the beam at Ernie's, who would have ever thought that she would be here today. Walking with pride, Kim led her team out to circle the arena and wave to the crowd. She smiled for the cameras that were flashing and the tv cameras that were rolling. She knew that her friends were watching back home.

XXXX

"I can't see why you let that girl go. You are always calling her and watching her perform." His uncle said from the door of the trailer.

"It was a mutual decision." Tommy said as his eyes traveled back to the tv.

"What you mean is that she decided that it was time for a break." Earl said as he walked over to the couch to sit down.

"No, we were at different paths in our lives. I am in California while she is across the country in Florida. We had to find our own way. It was the hardest decision in my life to let her go a second time." Tommy said as he turned to look at his uncle. He was the only uncle that Tommy was close too. The others being on the reservation with his real family. Earl actually helped raise Tommy during the summer. He was the one who taught Tommy how to drive and work on cars.

"Have you found your way?" Earl asked his nephew. He had this feeling that Tommy would leave after this racing season. He was the best driver that Earl had ever seen but it was not in the cards for Tommy to stay with racing.

"Yea I think I have." Tommy said as Kim's name was announced. She was the team captain and Tommy smiled in pride. He just wished that he could be there with her as she took the stage.

"Just let me know when I need to start looking for a new driver." Earl said dragging Tommy's attention back to him.

"I didn't say that I was giving up driving." He said.

"I know but I also know you. This life is not for you, son. You deserve to see that girl every day and to work a normal job. You are destined for more." His uncle said as he got up and walked out leaving Tommy staring after him. He thought about what his uncle said though and knew that he wanted to do something other than drive but what he wanted to do was his problem. He just didn't know.

XXXX

Okay what did everyone think? Please let me know. I hope that everyone liked this chapter and the next should be out soon.


	4. Preliminaries

A/N: I hope that everyone enjoys this chapter. I don't own anything but the plot. Also a huge thanks to my beta for making this an even better chapter than it was. You are the best!

XXXX

"Okay guys, Tommy is up for his pre-qualifier then Kim is on after that for her preliminaries." Adam said to everyone sitting in the living room. He had been tired of everyone fighting on who was going to be on when, so he made a chart of the events. It was perfect, but they had one problem; Kim and Tommy would be on at the same time tomorrow. He would be in his final laps while she would be in her final round of competition.

"I love the chart." Tanya said as she walked over to her boyfriend to kiss his cheek.

"I'm glad someone likes it." He said as everyone started laughing. It was going to be a long weekend for all of them, but they could handle it. After all, their two best friends were doing what they loved best, and this was the least that they could do.

"Okay guys settle down and leave Adam alone. He went through a lot of work to get this together." Trini said as she hit Jason up side the head before going over to the sink with her plate. The boys had grilled so the girls promised to clean.

"Yea whatever good job, Adam." Jason said before laughing. All the guys started laughing, even Adam, as the girls all rolled their eyes at them. When the girls were finished cleaning up the kitchen, they joined the boys in the living room. They were all ready for Tommy's heat to come up before Kim's preliminaries started.

XXXX

"You ready to go?" Tommy's crew chief asked him as he climbed into the car. They put his helmet on him as he was strapped in.

"Good, just ready for this to be over." He said as he looked out over the track. He closed his eyes as he pictured each turn and how he would take them. It calmed him better than anything else, except for the sound of Kim's voice. It would totally calm him more than anything but he couldn't talk to her at this moment.

"Yo, Tommy get your head in the game." His uncle said through his headset. He smiled before answering him.

"I'm here; I'm just picturing the track. Don't worry about me, I'm in the game." He said as the crew laughed. They all thought he was crazy with his routine right before the green flag but it was his. Kim had taught him how to do it. He wondered how she was doing and if she was even thinking of him.

XXXX

"Kim, you should be focusing on your routine." One of her teammates said to her. She was in her hotel room watching tv. She was so happy when she found the race on tv that she had to watch it.

"I know and I am." She said as the girl said beside her on the bed.

"Why are you watching the race?" The girl asked her. She gave Kim a weird look.

"I know one of the guys racing." Kim said with her eyes still glued to the screen.

"What? You know one of the guys racing? Who?" The girl asked her.

"That one." Kim said quietly when Tommy's handsome face was placed on the screen with his bio beside it. She knew all of the facts that they had on there of him and more. They didn't share that he was a little scared of shark monsters and mirrors of regrets. They didn't share that he has been the longest serving ranger even though he started off evil. They didn't share that he was shy and afraid to ask a girl to a dance.

"You know Tommy Oliver? You never told me that." The girl said which drew Kim's eyes from the tv.

"Yea I know him. I used to date him." Kim said as the girl's eyes bugged out and mouth fell open. The girl snapped out of it seconds later.

"You used to date the all time rookie of racing? Why did you break up?" The girl asked Kim. She was then reminded that this girl was in her teens and didn't even give a thought past dating the great Tommy Oliver. She didn't give a thought as to how hard it would actually have a long distance relationship.

"Its private but we still talk and we went to high school together." Kim said as she turned back to the screen. She knew the routine that Tommy was going through because she taught it to him. It was to calm his nerves and breathing. It was something that she had shown him during his football days. He would get so nervous but he never wanted anyone to know. She had found him like that before one of his big games. He had tried to tell her to go but she hadn't listened. No, she had walked over, sat down beside him and calmed him down. It was one of those sweet moments that she missed when she had decided to break up with him. The tv cut back to others drivers and Kim got up as she flipped off the tv. It was time for her to go to the arena and get ready.

XXXX

"Great job, Tommy." His crew chief said as Tommy climbed out of the car. He had placed well in his heat.

"Thanks and the car needs a quick tune-up before tomorrow." He said as he tossed his helmet to one of his crew. They all smiled as he walked away. They all knew where he was going and who he was going to see. It was her turn to take the stage and he couldn't wait to see her.

XXXX

"Kimberly, he placed well." Her coach whispered in her ear. She smiled and turned to him.

"Thank you for letting me know." She whispered back.

"It is my pleasure but I also know that you perform so much better when you know how he is doing. Now go and make him proud." He said to her with a smile on his face. She nodded and smiled as she walked out onto the mat. She took her place before running down to complete her first vault. If she did this one perfectly then she wouldn't have to take second. She would though, if only to see if she could improve her score. She always wanted to do better than last time. Landing with no step back, she raised her arms up and smiled big. Her score reflected that her vault was near perfect. It would be tough to top that but she would try when her time came up again. The mat, uneven bars, and the beam would be up for her. If she did well today, it would only help her score tomorrow. Taking her place once again, she ran down toward to the vault and did a double flip with a half tuck before her feet touched the floor. She balanced herself before raising her arms up with the biggest smile on her face. The judges posted their scores and showed that this vault was better than the last. She had completed another almost perfect vault. She was doing well and if she continued, then she would take home the gold.

XXXX

"Oh wow! She just landed that," Jason said out loud. "I have never seen that in competition."

"You actually watch this even when Kim is not on?" Trini asked him as he blushed.

"You do! You are so getting teased about this." Rocky said laughing.

"Yea if that happens, you will be punished." Jason said pointing at him.

"Bring it on sissy-man." Rocky said as Jason jumped up and ran after Rocky who saw him coming. Everyone else just laughed and turned back to watch Kim as she took her place in line for the uneven bars.

"Do we even need to tell them that she is up next?" Aisha asked them.

"I'll go." Trini said as she stood up.

"Yea only because they are scared of you." Kat said with a smile. Everyone started laughing around. Trini sighed and walked to the door to get the boys back in to see Kim on the uneven bars.

XXXX

"How is she doing?" Earl asked as he sat down on the couch with his cup of coffee.

"Good." Tommy said keeping his eyes glued to the set. He was so proud of her when she landed her second vault. Her coach was right; her new routine was amazing and it placed her on another level. The closest girl even near her was a girl from Russia. She was showing what she had.

"I'm glad and I must say that her dismount was almost perfect." Earl said as Tommy's head whipped around to him.

"What did you say?" Tommy asked his uncle.

"Her dismount was perfect." Earl said with a smile.

"You have been watching her." Tommy said to him.

"Yea, I wanted to see if she was as good as you claim her to be." His uncle told him.

"And is she?" Tommy asked with a smile.

"She is and you know it. I think that girl of yours will go all the way." He said as he stood up to leave his nephew by himself.

"I do too." Tommy said as his uncle laughed and walked out of the trailer. Tommy smiled and turned back to the tv. Kim was jumping up to grab the lowest bar and started her routine on the uneven bars. This was going to be a long night for him. At least his race was later in the day tomorrow. The problem was so was Kim's final competition. She would compete tomorrow because she had already placed high enough for that and if she continued to do this well, she would be in first after tonight.

XXXX

"With that performance, Kimberly Hart is in first place for tomorrow's final round. In other news our Golden boy from Angel Grove is doing well in his first heat. Both of the athletes from Angel Grove are showing that they are good enough to perform at this level. Tomorrow will tell if they are good enough to take home the hardware." The guy from ESPN said as Kim smiled. She turned the tv off and laid down in the bed. She sighed and closed her eyes. It was time to recharge and get ready tomorrow. It was her last thought before morning.

XXXX

Tommy smiled as he shut off the tv. She had performed like he knew she would. This was her time and it pleased him to no end. Getting up with a groan he headed back to the bedroom. He had a full day of racing tomorrow. He was also happy that he was racing for his uncle because he would give him updates on Kim. She won't take the stage until he was in the final laps. He hoped to be crossing the finish line when she was on the podium. He laid down and closed his eyes and dreamed of seeing Kim again.

XXXX

"I think that they are both going to win tomorrow." Trini said to Jason as everyone else slept. They were out on the back deck looking up into the night sky.

"I know they will." Jason said with a laugh.

"Does it seem weird that they are not together?" She asked him as she snuggled deeper into his arms.

"Yea it does, even if it has been like a year," Jason said as he laid his head on top of hers. "I just wish that they would wise up and see that they are perfect for each other. It's so hard not to see them together."

"I know what you mean," She sighed. "They talk every night and neither one of them has dated anyone else since they broke up." she let out a soft chuckle. "It's like they are waiting for the other to say something."

"I know what you mean," he laughed softly. They sat there for another hour before getting up and going back into the house. It was going to be a long day of waiting but it was going to be worth it. Tommy and Kim were at the biggest stages of their careers and they all intended to watch them win.

XXXX

Okay what did everyone think? Please let me know. The next chapter should be out next week sometime. Also don't forget to let me know what you thought about this chapter.


	5. Winning Comes at a Price

A/N: I don't own anything but the plot. I hope that everyone enjoys this chapter. This a longer chapter than I normally write but it was worth it and thanks to my lovely beta, Kim. You are so great and this chapter won't be as great without you.

XXXX

Opening her eyes, Kim took a deep breath. Today was the day that she learned what she was made of. Today was the day that all of her gymnastic dreams either came true, or came crashing down around her. After laying there for a few more minutes, she finally got up and got in the shower. It was time to show the world what she had. Ten minutes later she got out of the shower and looked in the mirror with a smile on her face; she had a feeling that today would be a great day. She got dressed and went to join the others downstairs before they went to the gym. They would be there all day but she didn't mind because she would be able to still get updates on Tommy as there was a TV in the waiting area that she could watch. Seconds later, she heard the coach yelling for everyone to get on the bus. Kim smiled as she watched her teammates talking to each other, she knew that everyone else would be in their heads going over their routines or talking to their coaches; but she would be in front of that TV watching Tommy as his drove around in circles. She was smiling as she stepped off the bus and walked into the arena. This was going to be a great day. The first thing she did was to search for a phone and called Tommy. She wanted to wish him luck and just to hear his voice to calm the butterflies in her belly.

XXXX

Tommy groaned and rolled over to find the phone. He was having the best dream of him and Kim. They were older and standing by a lake. He was on bended knee asking her to marry him. He didn't get to hear her answer though because the stupid phone started ringing. He finally found it and answered it.

"Hello?" He said still a little groggy.

"Hi handsome, were you dreaming of me?" Kim asked with a giggle.

"Yes but your voice is better than any dream. Is there something wrong?" He asked as he sat up in his bed. The sheet slid down and revealed his abs, which were even more toned than they were in high school because of him working out with more weights.

"No, nothing is wrong. I just wanted to wish you luck and to hear your voice." She said which made him smile. He missed her now, more than he thought he would.

"Thank you and good luck to you. I wish I could be there to see you with the Gold Medal around your neck and the American flag flying proudly in front of you." He said as he got out of bed. He looked at the clock and knew that he needed to get up and get his clothes together.

"I wish that I could be there with you as you cross the finish line on the checked flag." She said with a sigh.

"I know beautiful but you will be with me more than you know." He said as he opened his wallet. He had a picture of her in it, so therefore she was always with him when he raced and there was no other way he would have it.

"And you will be with me." She said as she saw her coach looking around the corner at her. She sighed and knew that she had to get to the waiting area.

"I assume that sigh was your coach is waiting for you and you have to go." He said with a smile. He could read her so well.

"Yeah, it was," She said a little sadly. "I'll talk to you later Tommy."

"OK Kim." He said as he hit end on his phone. He threw it on his bed and just stared at his room. His uncle's voice yelling through the trailer had him moving around getting everything together that he would need. It was going to be a great day.

XXXX

"Okay girls what have we got?" Trini asked Aisha, Kat, Tanya, and Angela. They were in charge of food for today. The boys would grill but none of the girls trusted them to remember to buy the food to grill. They were a little clueless most of the time.

"Hamburger patties, hot dogs, chips, dip, drinks, and sweets," Aisha said as Trini nodded.

"Great, then let's get to the boys house. Jason, I'm sure is already pacing because we haven't made it yet." Trini said as the girls laughed. They got into Aisha's Tahoe and made it to the house ten minutes later. The boys rushed out to the car as soon as they parked.

"Where have you been? Jason is driving us crazy." Rocky said as he grabbed some bags.

"Yea he has been up for hours." Adam said as he grabbed the rest of the bags. Zack and Billy waited on the porch for them.

"Where is Justin? I thought he would be here." Kat said as they walked in the house.

"He said that he wanted to spend the day with his dad. Since giving up his powers, he has been spending a lot of time with him. He said that he is making up for lost time." Zack said as he helped them put away the food until later.

"Well I guess I can see that. I can't believe that he stayed here instead of going with the others to space but then I guess that he would've still had to give up his powers." Tanya said.

"Well I can't wait to see the newest ranger, Andros. Cassie said that he is a little on the odd side but that he reminded her of Tommy." Kat filled in.

"I still can't believe that you were rangers. I mean it fits but to know that I know the Power Rangers is weird." Angela said as Zack put his arm around her neck and pulled her close.

"Well as long as you know that I am the best ranger is all that matters." Zack said with a smile.

"Yea whatever, I was the Original Red and leader so I am the best." Jason said as he came in the house from the back yard. He walked over to Trini and kissed her check.

"You keep telling yourself that, Jase but I replaced you." Rocky said as everyone laughed.

"Is the grill ready for the burgers and dogs?" Trini asked him as they calmed down.

"Yep all ready to go." He said with a smile. They all worked together to get everything ready. It was going to be a great day for them as they watched their best friends on TV.

XXXX

"Okay, I'm bringing it in on the next lap. The tire pressure is getting low." Tommy said into his headset.

"We're ready." His crew chief said as the pit crew got into position. They were ready as he came in. They knew that it was their job to get him back out on the track in as little of time as possible. Their job was accomplished in six seconds and he was out on the track in ten seconds.

"Great job, guys," Tommy said as he took the inside lane in the first turn. Needing to know how Kim was doing, he spoke to his uncle. "Uncle Earl?"

"She is not up for another 10 minutes so get back to driving." He said with a laugh. If anyone walked into the garage they would think that he didn't care about his driver but it was the very fact that he cared about Tommy that he was watching gymnastics. He was also glad that Tommy got to talk to Kim this morning on the phone. Tommy was driving as if he owned this track. It was great to see.

XXXX

"Hey Kim, how is he doing?" Her coach asked her.

"Great. He is in third right now." She said without looking at her coach.

"That's great but you know that we start in ten minutes. I will keep you updated." He said as she stood up and walked over to him.

"Thank you." She said as she hugged him and then backed up. Hearing that gymnastics was coming up, she ran to the dressing rooms. She had to change and fast.

XXXX

"Okay this is where the two TVs come in handy." Jason said as he turned on the second TV to watch Kim. Tommy was in good shape for his race.

"Okay yea whatever." Rocky said as he threw a grape at him. Everyone else started laughing.

"Guys, Kim is going to be up after the break." Tanya pointed out and everybody got quiet so that they could watch Kim.

XXXX

"_On the uneven bars next is Kimberly Hart from the United States." _The announcer said as Kim stepped to the edge of the mat and raised her arms up and smiled. She then lowered her arms and walked over to the bars. She raised her arms again and smiled at the judges. After lowering her arms once again, she took a deep breath before jumping up and grabbing the lower of the two bars. She performed her routine flawlessly and flipped off to land on the blue mat. She stuck her landing like the pro she was. Raising her arms up and smiling big, she felt ready to finish the rest of the events now. She knew that she had to wait though.

XXXX

"_The track is heating up as the racers enter the last of their laps. With the rookie in the lead at this point how will the race end? Will Tommy have it in him to finish this race at the top or will his nerves get the better of him? In other news Kimberly Hart is showing the world that the United States is a force to be reckoned with in the gymnastics world. You know I wonder what the citizens of Angel Grove are doing right now. They must be torn between who they are watching." The first ESPN guy said. _

"_You know I think you are right. They really have a tough choice with Tommy in his last laps about to make history or with Kimberly in the lead about to take home the Gold if she keeps going like she is." The other guy at ESPN said. _

XXXX

"Tommy, she is looking good and is still in first," His uncle said. "Now get back in the groove." Tommy just smiled. He knew that the uneven bars were not her best event but knew that she was getting better on them. She would take the mat next before taking her two turns on the vault but it was her last event that she would blow everyone away. The beam was her best event by far. He wished that he could see her perform her new routine on it but he would still be racing his final laps. He couldn't wait for this race to be over.

XXXX

"Kimberly, I want you to breathe and relax. This is your last event but it is your best. Go and kill them on the beam. Show them that this is why you are here. Do it for him." Her coach said as she nodded and smiled. This was her best event and she would do this for Tommy. She would show the world that she could do this. Taking her place beside the beam, she lowered her head and smiled. Picturing Tommy's face, she did a backhand spring onto the beam. With her new level of difficulty, there was more to go wrong but she didn't think about that. She thought about Tommy. He was in a car going over 200 mph while she was taking each flip with practiced precision. As she neared the end of her routine, she couldn't stop smiling. Taking her place at the end of the beam before starting the dismount, she took a single breath. Five seconds later she landed on the blue mat and raised her arms up. She was still smiling when her coach and teammates ran up to her to hug her. They were standing beside her when she found out her scores and they were as close to perfect as they could get. She was still in shock when she saw her name in first place for the beam and first in overall. She had won not one but three Gold Medals, one for beam, one for floor, and she won the overall Gold. As her name was called, she took her place on the podium and leaned down for them to place the Gold Medals around her neck. She then took the dozen red roses from the girl and held them up. There were tears in her eyes as they lowered the American flag and the National anthem was played. This ranked up there as one of the best moments of her life. She just wished that Tommy was here with her. As she stepped off the podium, her knees buckled. Thank goodness her coach was there to catch her and make sure that she didn't fall on her face. The pain that shot through her body settled in her heart. Something was wrong, she just knew it.

XXXX

"She's taken the Gold now it's your turn." Earl said through the headset with a smile on his face.

"Thanks, Uncle Earl." Tommy said as he pressed the pedal further down. He would take first.

XXXX

"He's in his last lap. I hope that he knows she won." Kat said as she looked around the room. Everyone was on the edge of their seats. They had just seen Kim take the Gold and now Tommy was in his last lap. He had one last turn and the checked flag was raised. It was like everyone was waiting for Tommy to cross the finish line. He was so close that when he did cross it everyone was in shock. Chaos erupted in the living room as his car slid to a stop. He was half way of his car when the unthinkable happened. One of the cars coming up behind him spun out of control and slammed into Tommy's side of the car. He was thrown from the car and landed several feet from his car. Kat held her breath as did everyone else. He wasn't moving. The ambulance rushed onto the track as she looked away. She couldn't watch him loaded in it like she did Kim. She just hoped that he was alright.

XXXX

"_We have just gotten word that rookie driver Tommy Oliver has been in an accident. He had just crossed the finish under the checked flag and took first place. We don't know at this time what his injuries are just that he has been rushed to the hospital and that they are calling in his family. Our thoughts and prayers go out to him and his family during this time. We will be watching this story and give you updates as we get them." _The ESPN announcer said as they all stared in shock.

"We have to get to there." Jason said as everyone looked at him.

"Jason, he is across the country. How are we going to get there?" Trini asked him.

"We teleport." Billy said as they looked at him.

"Can we still do that?" Adam asked in shock.

"Yes we can. I just have to tweak a few things. Angela won't be able to go though unless one of us stays behind." He said looking around the room.

"No, you are his best friends. I can stay here and call if there is any trouble. Go to him now." Angela said as Zack hugged her close. He leaned in and kissed her bye before he stepped away from her. Billy changed their frequency on their communicators that they still wore. They gathered in a circle and raised their wrists up before disappearing in their colors. They landed right outside the hospital in the shadows.

"We need to get in there." Jason said as they nodded. They walked into the emergency room and didn't stop until they made it to the desk.

"Can I help you?" The nurse on duty asked with a smile.

"Yea we are friends of Tommy Oliver, how is he and can we see him." Jason said nicely to her.

"Yes I'm sure you are friends of the racecar driver but I cannot tell you anything on his condition without his permission. You could be reporters for all I know." She said to them losing the smile.

"Listen lady we are his best friends and we would like to see him." Trini said as she leaned in close to the window.

"Miss if you don't back away from this window, I will call security." The nurse said showing no fear over a girl in yellow looking very meancing at her window. She dealt with several people who claimed to be friends of celebrities all the time. Jason with a sigh, pulled Trini back because they didn't need a fight right now.

"How can we prove to you that we are his friends?" Adam asked her.

"You can't." She said as she turned away from them.

"Please we need to know how he is." Kat said with tears in her eyes.

"I'm sorry but I can't share anything with you." She said turning once more. She left the window this time though.

"What are we going to do? We don't even know how he is." Aisha said as they walked over to some empty chairs and sat down.

"Jase, you need to contact Kim. She needs to know." Trini whispered to him as he nodded. This was going to break her heart but she did need to know.

"I will do that now." He said as he got up and walked outside. He knew that she had her communicator close because it was her link to them and Zordon. It was just easier to contact her on that.

XXXX

_Beep, Beep_

Kim dug through her bag to find her communicator because she always had it with her. It was her link to Zordon, Alpha, and the Power Ranges. It was also her good luck charm. She finally found it and looked around before answering it. Seeing no one she raised it to her mouth.

"Kim here." She said with a smile.

"Kim, it's me Jason. I have some bad news to tell you." He said as she sat down on the nearest bench. She could hear the despair in his voice.

"I'm sitting down." She said trying to prepare herself for just about anything. It worried her that he had even contacted her on her communicator.

"Tommy won." He started off. He paused because he really didn't want to tell her about the accident. She was alone with none of her friends at her side.

"Okay for a minute there I thought you were going to say that he was in an accident or something. It's great that he won. We will have to celebrate when I get back." She said smiling now still not sure why Jason sounded so broken.

"No, that's not all I wanted to tell you. He won but another car got out of control and slammed into his car. He was half out when the car hit his and he was thrown from his car. He is in the hospital right now." He said in almost one breath. He waited for her break.

"I'm on my way." She said as tears started pouring down her checks. Lowering her wrist she went back to her room. She didn't even see what she was packing only that she was throwing clothes in her bag. Running back downstairs she had her bag and purse. One look at her face and her coach knew something was wrong with one of her friends. He led her to the curb to call her a taxi.

"Please be careful." He said as she nodded. She would book her flight when she got to the airport. Her coach watched the taxi take Kim to the airport and he prayed that it wasn't anything to do with Tommy, that boy was Kim's world.

XXXX

"Jason is that you?" A man asked as he got out of car on the curb. Jason turned to see who it was. He was still outside after talking with Kim. It was too hard to be in the hospital without any information on Tommy.

"Yea, who are you?" He asked as the man walked closer.

"You would think that you would remember me but I guess not. I'm Tommy's uncle Earl." He said as he stepped into the light finally.

"Oh, Uncle Earl, sorry I couldn't see your face." Jason said to him with a slight smile.

"That's fine but what are you doing out here instead of being in there with Tommy." He asked stepping closer to Jason.

"The nurse wouldn't let us back since she doesn't know if we are really his friends or not." Jason said with more anger than Earl had ever seen in him.

"Well I can fix that right now." Earl said as he led Jason back into the hospital to get some news on Tommy's condition.

XXXX

"Excuse me, miss." Earl said as he tapped on the window. The same nurse came back to the window and looked him over before turning to look at Jason again.

"Yes may I help you?" She asked them.

"Yea my nephew was taken here after his accident on the track. I believe you know him as Tommy Oliver." Earl said to the nurse as she rolled her eyes.

"I will need to see some ID." She said as Earl opened his wallet and showed her his ID and Tommy's.

"You are fine then but I cannot let him or his friends back there." She said giving a look at the others in the lobby.

"Those kids are the closest thing he has to family right now and I will give up my place back there for them." Earl said to the nurse in a calm voice.

"I'm sorry but they cannot go back there to see him." She said protesting again.

"You see that's where you're wrong. They will go back there or I will have this entire hospital closed down. The boy you have back there in surgery just won the biggest race in history and he will want these people next to him as he wakes up." Earl told the woman in a much firmer voice.

"I will see how he's doing." She said as she started to back away from the window.

"Oh and by the way, there will be a young woman coming here to see him as well. She is to be shown to his side at once. I believe that you know of her since she just won three Gold Medals only minutes ago, her name is Kimberly." He said as she nodded and left the window to see what she could find out about Tommy. She didn't want to lose her job over letting that many people back but this wasn't a normal case. Hopefully they could keep the media out.

XXXX

"Watch his heart rate; I don't need him crashing on the table again." The doctor said to the nearest nurse. He had been called in when the doctor on call saw the amount of damage the driver had obtained. He was working as fast as he could to deal with all the problems but they were losing him fast. He had already flat-lined twice on the table and once in the ambulance. They had called his family in, in case they couldn't get him back. It was going to be a long surgery to fix all the damage that he got from being thrown from the car. The driver wasn't even breathing on his own yet but they had no time to wait. The EMTs got him just stable enough to be rushed back to surgery as soon as they made it to the hospital.

"Doctor, you have another bleed." The head surgery nurse pointed out as he cursed under his breath. This boy had more blood pumping out of his body than in it. How would he ever make it?

"We're losing him!" The nurse yelled as they grabbed the bag and paddles. One nurse was pumping the bag to force air into his lungs as two other nurses were charging the paddles.

"Ready?" One nurse asked and the other nodded.

"Clear!" The nurse said as everyone backed away from table and watched the body lurch up but still no pulse. They charged the paddles to an even higher charge. They had to do everything they could to bring him back. It was their job to never give up.

"Clear!" The nurse yelled again as all the hands working on the body lifted once again.

XXXX

_On a distant planet light years away_

"This is the only way, Andros. You must do this or all will be lost." Zordon pleaded with the Red Ranger. Evil was taking over the world and one of his rangers was dying. He had to do this for the world. This was his destiny.

"Zordon, there must be another way." Andros said as he stood there in front of the tube that held this great man. He didn't know if he could end his life.

"Do it now!" Zordon yelled as Divatox and her gang came closer. They would be on top of them in only minutes.

"I am sorry." Andros said as he raised his sword and slashed it downward ending Zordon's life. His energy flowed out of the tube like a wave cleansing the Earth and everything evil around it. Zedd, Rita, and Divatox were turned back to the humans they were as all the other bad guys turned into dust. The rangers watched in shock as the evil left this world. They fell to their knees and felt a pain of loss that it could have only meant that Zordon was gone to them. They found out later that Andros had ended the mentor's life at his bequest.

XXXX

_Back On Earth_

Kim had just walked into the hospital when she hit her knees in pain. Jason saw her as did the others and they ran to her side. They each felt the same pain of loss that the present rangers felt but they didn't know what was going on. The same pain brought them to their knees as well beside Kim.

"He's gone." Kim cried as Jason wrapped his arms around her. They all thought that she meant Tommy since she was connected to him more than they were. They all started crying silently as they watched their Pink Ranger sob into Jason's shoulder over the loss of the one she loved more than anything.

XXXX

"Okay, take him to recovery, it will be a long 24 hours but he should make it." The doctor said as he took off his mask and walked to the lobby. He had some good news to tell his friends and family. He was prepared for tears but not for the young lady in the floor crying.

"Tommy Oliver's family." The doctor said as the young lady and everyone around her stood up. He instantly knew who she was and really didn't know how she had gotten here so quickly.

"He's gone, isn't he?" She asked without looking up at him.

"No, no my dear, it was a little hairy for a while but he is in recovery at this moment. In about an hour you can go up and see him." The doctor said as Kim looked up at him.

"He's alive?" She asked still not quiet believing it.

"Yes he is." He said with a smile as he turned and left them there.

"Tommy's going to be okay." Kim said as they all circled her to catch her if she fell again. She had a habit of fainting at really happy news. The one question running through their minds was why they had felt as if someone had left them.

XXXX

"Tommy, please come back to me." Kim said as she sat by his bed. Everyone else had left to get something to eat and to sleep. She refused to leave his side until he woke up. He had done the same for her long ago. She had never seen him this bad before but at least his heart rate was normal and his body healing. He just had white bandages everywhere to cover up the stitches and minor cuts. He was still her Tommy though. She yawned before laying her head on his bed and took his hand on hers. She had just closed her eyes when she felt his fingers squeeze hers.

"Tommy?" She said lifting her head up to look at him.

"Beautiful?" Tommy said opening his eyes and looking at Kim.

"I'm right here." She said with a smile.

"Zordon's gone. He did it to save the Earth and me." He said sadly.

"I thought it was you I had felt leave me. I guess that it was the only way to save Earth." She said as tears filled her eyes. Losing Zordon was not easy to take in even though he gave Tommy back to her.

"I know but I feel as though he should have lived." He said as she nodded.

"They brought your trophy here." She said pointing to it in the corner.

"I see that and congrats on winning Gold." He said as she smiled. This is what she missed the most from being away from him. She had made a decision while he slept and that was to move back to California and be near him and the others. She would find something close to him and start her life back in California where she belonged.

XXXX

"Guys, it's great to see you." Tommy said as he sat up in the bed the next day.

"Yea but you know if we had known that you would be alright, we would have just waited until you came home to celebrate." Jason said as everyone laughed. Tommy had told them that Zordon had died but that he had cleansed the Earth in dying. They each had shed tears over his passing but agreed that this was the best way for him to go.

XXXX

So what did everyone think? Please let me know. I hope that everyone liked it. This chapter was so hard for me to write but I knew that this chapter would be because of Tommy's wreck and Zordon's death. This is also the halfway point of the story only five more chapters left. The next chapter should be out soon.


	6. The Call

A/N: I don't own anything but the concept. Also I am sorry for the long wait but I spilt tea on my laptop so most of stories are on hold until I get that fixed. The ones that I will be updating is the ones that I already had the chapters typed up. Sorry for the delay in any of my stories. Also big thanks to my beta. You are awesome and this chapter is better because of you.

XXXX

Kim sat in the room while Tommy slept. She had turned on the TV and flipped to the sports channel. They were giving updates on the games and it looked like the US National Men's team was up. They looked like they could place well if they kept everything together. ESPN then cut to a commercial break. She was about to turn it off when they started showing footage from Tommy's wreck. Pausing she turned it up. Since she had not been at a TV she had not seen this. They zoomed in on the wreck and she held back a cry when she saw Tommy cross the finish line and slowed the car. He was climbing out as another car spun out of control and clipped Tommy's car on back driver's side which threw Tommy from the car. He landed several feet from the car. She didn't know how the other cars had even had time to stop but they did. Tears were pouring down her cheeks as she watched the ambulance and other emergency workers make their way to him. She looked over at Tommy lying in the bed and closed her eyes. She could've lost him today and she wouldn't have been in the same time zone with him; she silently thanked God that he only had a few broken ribs, a slight concussion, a broken leg, and a few cuts and bruises. He would mend and she would make sure of that. This had to stop, they had to stop. It was time for her to come home.

XXXX

"I want you to take it easy for the first couple of days then you will need to start your physical therapy; because of your broken ribs, you will have to take it slow and easy," The doctor said as he was discharging Tommy three days later.

"Trust me doctor, he will be taking it easy." Kim said as she smiled at Tommy. The doctor smiled and left them to get his wheelchair so that he could leave. A few minutes later, a nurse brought in the wheelchair and Tommy was helped into it by Jason and Rocky. Saying goodbye to the nurse, they wheeled him out and took him home. Kim had called her coach to ask him if she could take a few weeks off from the tour he had planned; understanding, he told her to take as long as she needed. When Tommy was well enough, they all traveled to where the Command Center had once stood; the outskirts of Angel Grove. The friends made their way up the hill, their heavy hearts filled with fear at what they would see. They finally made it to the top, and stood frozen in disbelief; it was such a shock to see it in ruins. This place had been their home, a safe haven from all things evil; it was where they had gotten started; but the most important thing was that it was also the place that saw the growth of a love that couldn't be destroyed. Kim felt the tears flowing down her cheeks as it finally dawned on her, even after so many years, that Zordon really was gone. Even after she had given up the power, she always knew that he would be there if she ever needed him; even if it was just to talk, she knew that she could teleport up to see him. But now, she couldn't do that anymore; he was gone. She couldn't even sense his presence around the place anymore. She looked around and saw that everyone else was feeling the same thing. Their mentor and father figure was gone. He had made them a tighter group and they even made new friends in Adam, Aisha, Rocky, Kat, Tanya, and Justin. She heard someone behind and she turned to see the Space Rangers. They were not morphed though, just in regular clothes and as sad as they were.

"Hey guys," Ashley said as she walked over to them. "Tommy said that everyone would be here and we wanted to join in." She hugged Trini, Aisha and Tanya before walking over to hug Kat then stopping in front of Kim.

"I know how hard this is for you," she told her. "I am truly sorry but this was the only way." She wrapped her arms around Kim, pulling her into a hug. The two stayed like that for several minutes before Cassie walked up to them, turning the hug into a three way. Cassie knew that even though it was hard on all of them, it was even worse on Kim; not only was she one of the first that was handpicked by Zordon, she was the first Pink Ranger and it was well known that the pink rangers were almost always the more emotional ones. Zordon had brought them all together and now he couldn't even see them together. They were here where is all began.

"Is Kim going to be okay?" T.J. asked Jason. They were standing a little bit away from the others.

"I'm not sure; we were all close to Zordon but to Kim he was like the father that she didn't have, "It was a bond that only brought them closer," he looked over towards her for a second before looking back at T.J. "I think that it hurt her more than him when she left."

"Why do you say that?" T.J. asked.

"She felt like she was letting him down even though he told her go," Jason sighed as he shook his head. "We are all here for her now, but I'm worried about what will happen when she goes back to Florida; she will be by herself."

"I can understand how you would be," T.J. said. It was something that Cassie and Ashley had talked about as everyone knew how attached Kim was to Zordon. Finally everyone circled around to say their final goodbyes to this very great man. They had a flower in their ranger color. The ones that had more than one color chose the color that they thought suited them more. They each stepped forward and said a few words. Some were sobbing while others just let the tears follow down their cheeks. Jason started the circle while Kim went last. She had held it together until Tommy spoke then she let the waterworks flow. She made it through her speech though and it was from her heart, which was really the only place that a speech about Zordon could come from. They left the ruins about an hour later. Kim glanced one last time at the rumble and knew that she would not come back up here again. Tommy turned to look at her and smiled, he waited for her and took her hand as they made their way back down to their cars.

XXXX

_Five Months Later_

"Hey Beautiful, how's it going?" Tommy asked as he walked over to the couch. He was finally getting around better with all the rehab he had been through. He had pushed himself more than his doctor wanted him too but the only reason he had is because he knew that his body could take it. Being a ranger made you aware of what your body could and could not take. He was really happy when his ribs had finally healed. They had given him pain all during the first few weeks of rehab. Kim had been with him during that time until she had to join the rest of the National team on their tour.

"It's so good to hear your voice. I'm great just getting everything packed up and ready for my move back across the country. I never thought that I would have this much junk. I know I didn't bring this much down here." She said as she grabbed another box. It was really great that Tommy called her. It had been a while since she had talked to him because he was in rehab everyday and she was on tour for the Nationals team but all that was over now. She was heading back to Angel Grove to see her friends and of course Tommy. It was time to come home.

"Well I want to be the first face you see when you step off the plane." He said with a smile. He had been picturing her stepping off the plane for four months. It was another reason he had been pushing his body in rehab. He wanted to drive her home from the airport. His body was finally back to the shape it had been in before his wreck.

"I know and that is why I haven't told Jason and Trini when I am flying in. They only know what week I am coming in." She said as she started packing her movies.

"Well since you are packing I will let you go but I will call you later." He said and they said their goodbyes. It would only be a few more weeks until he could see her again, and coincidentally, they would be starting college around that time as well. It wasn't planned that they would go to the same school, but it had turned out that way. She was going for teaching while he was going into paleontology. When he had first told her that, she was beyond shocked. She had asked him why dinosaurs and he had told her that it was because of being a ranger and of the zords being representations of the dinos. She had just laughed but she supported him. Their friends also couldn't wait to be in college with them, even though they already had one year on them. It was all working out.

XXXX

_Three Weeks Later_

Tommy parked his Jeep and got out. He made his way into the airport to meet Kim. He walked over to the boards and saw that her plane was on time and should be landing in a few minutes. Glancing around he saw people coming and going with bags. Kim had already sent her stuff ahead and he had unloaded it in her parents' house that she now occupied. He had even tuned up her car that he had gotten from Jason's parents garage. It was running like a dream now with a new battery, an oil change, and a car wash. She would be shock to say the least. Hearing that her plane was landing now and would be unloading, he walked over toward the gate. He knew that he was smiling from ear to ear and he hadn't even seen her yet. Finally after what seemed like a long wait, he saw her in a pair of cut off shorts and a pink tank top with pink flip-flops, with a bag that she was pulling behind her. He knew the minute she saw him because she broke out in a run. He opened his arms and she jumped into them dropping her bag at his feet.

"I have missed you." She said near his ear and she held him tighter.

"I've missed you too." He said holding her close to familiarize himself with her scent. He hadn't smelled it in awhile and he was happy to note that she smelled the same and it brought a smile to his face.

"I guess that I need to let you go so that we can leave and I think that everybody is staring." She said with a smile as she pulled back to look him in the eyes.

"Only if you want too because I can carry you out." He said as she laughed but she did unhook her legs from around his waist and slid down his body. Her feet touched the floor and she bent down to get her bag. He grabbed her hand as she straightened. They walked hand in hand to his Jeep in the parking lot.

XXXX

_Four Years Later_

"Kim, I got it!" Tommy screamed into the phone. He had just opened his mail for today and saw the letter.

"Got what?" She asked with a smile as she settled on the couch. She could hear the excitement in his voice.

"The scholarship, I am going to study dinosaurs with Anton Mercer." He said to her.

"Really? I'm so proud of you. I can't believe that you are studying with the great Anton Mercer." She said as grabbed her books and stretched out.

"I know I can't believe it either but it's true. Also I get to stay on his island for six months while I work on my doctorate." He said as he poured himself a bowl or cereal.

"An island? Tommy you have got to let me visit you while you are there. We are talking a sand and sun all the way." She said with a laugh.

"I'll ask but there is something that I want to do before I leave for the island." He said as he grabbed the milk out of the fridge.

"Okay should I be worried?" She asked with a hint of a laugh.

"No but everyone will want to be there." He said as he outlined his plan while she listened before saying bye and promising that she won't say anything to anyone before he did.

XXXX

"Are you sure?" Trini asked Tommy from behind the camcorder. No one really thought that he would go through with this.

"Yes I am sure. I have to start a new phase of my life without my long hair." He said as he gripped Kim's hand tighter. It was something that all of his friends had to see for themselves. Tommy was cutting his hair for what seemed like the first time since they had known him.

"Okay are you ready?" The hairstylist asked as she approached the group. She had never seen this many people here for a haircut before and with a camera.

"Yes he is." Kim said with a smile. She looked into Tommy's eyes and saw the man he was becoming by cutting his hair. This was the right step for him. When the woman was done she backed up and the group gasped. He looked good and in Kim's opinion even more handsome than he had been. A week later he left to start work on his doctorate and prepare for the six months that he would spent on an island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.

XXXX

_Six Months Later_

"I didn't except to see you here." Tommy said as he walked through the gate and over to Kim. He had just gotten off the plane from his stay on the island.

"I was worried about you after the island exploded so I wanted to make sure that you were alright." She said as she wrapped his arms around him. The island exploding and not knowing whether he was alive or dead had been life changing for her. It was time to stop dancing around the issue of being together.

"Kim, you were all I thought of." He said as he kissed her cheek. They walked out of the airport and made their way to Kim's house. Since he had given up his apartment, he was staying with her. They talked about their friends and the changes taking place in their lives before Kim pulled up in her driveway. Tommy grabbed his bags and followed her into the house. He could sense that there was something that she wanted to tell him but he didn't know what it was. Stopping just inside the door he dropped his bags and faced her.

"Kimberly Anne Hart, I want to know what is wrong. You are too quiet and I know that you have not changed that much." He said as she turned to face him from across the room.

"The island exploding got me thinking. We have been dancing around each other for the past several years. I am here on the same side of the country and we are still running from each other." She said crossing her arms over her chest.

"What do you want?" He asked her softly praying that her answer would be what he wanted to hear.

"You, I want you." She said as he opened his arms. She didn't even think twice about it, she just ran into them.

"I never thought I would hear you say those words to me." He said into her hair. She looked up at him and watched him slowly lower his head and touch his lips to hers. It soon became more than just a simple kiss. It consumed them both with the flames that had kept them together all these years. Pulling back slowly, she opened her eyes and smiled.

"I think our friends will be happy that we have finally found each other again." She said with a laugh.

"I think so too since Jason has been dropping hints like crazy while I have been away. He also asked me to be his best man at his and Trini's wedding at the end of the month." He said looking down at her.

"Oh I know, Rocky said that it wasn't fair that Jason chose you since he has to live with him. He thought that he should've been chosen. Trini has been telling me all about the fights between those two. I am also her maid of honor." She said with a wink.

"Well are any of the girls fighting with you about it?" He asked with a straight face.

"Oh yea, I had to have a talk with Aisha and Tanya about it. I also scared Kat and told her not to mess with an Original." She said as they both started laughing. It was such an amazing feeling being with each other and no dancing around where the boundaries of their friendship were. They had freed each other.

XXXX

"Okay guys I want you to stand around the bride and groom." The photographer said as the wedding party gathered around Trini and Jason. The bridesmaids were on one side as the groomsmen stood on the other. The one big fight between Trini and Jason about the wedding was the colors. He wanted red to be the color and she of course wanted yellow. Everyone knew who would win that fight though. The girls all stood proudly in their yellow dresses as the boys wore their yellow ties that perfectly matched the dresses. Trini did carry red and yellow roses though to make Jason happy. Kim looked over at Tommy and winked. They had kept their relationship under wraps for the time being. They wanted their time to rediscover what they had all those years ago and to see how they had changed. Their love was adult now and not the teenage love of their high school days. It took time and patience to work. It was one step at a time for them right now. They would tell the others but not right now. Kim suspected that Trini and maybe Aisha knew but they weren't saying anything and she wasn't telling anything. They stood outside the church for more pictures before finally getting to the reception. Everyone clapped and starting eating as the wedding party sat down. It was a long night of eating and dancing for the friends and they finally waved bye to the new couple as Jason and Trini drove off in his new red truck that the boys had decorated with balloons, shaving cream, and condoms. They were going to be away on their honeymoon for two weeks while their house was being finished. Tommy made his way over to Kim while the others walked to their cars.

"Hey you want to hit the road after we change or do you want to wait until the morning?" He asked leaning in toward her. They were going on a vacation at a new spa she had found. It was in Reefside so it was still close if anyone needed them.

"I say we go home and changed then leave tonight. I can't wait to see this place." She said with a smile as he nodded. They walked over to his Jeep and got in. He would drop her off at her house while he drove on to his apartment. He was pulling back up at her door about an hour later. Using his key, he let himself in and smiled as he heard Kim singing in her bedroom. He walked over to her bedroom door and saw that it was open so he peeked inside and saw her in jeans and a pink t-shirt. It was just a pair of jeans and a t-shirt but she looked like a million bucks to him.

"Hey no staring!" She said as she sat on her bed to put on her tennis shoes that he noticed were pink too.

"Are you ready?" He asked as she nodded and pointed to her bag.

"Wait, that's all you're taking? Are you sick or something?" He asked as he put his hand on her forehead. She slapped it away with a laugh.

"No I'm not sick just a better packer now. I have all I will need for the next four days. Now come on so we can get on the road." She said as he grabbed her bag. They were on the road ten minutes later. Since the spa was in Reefside, it only took Tommy an hour to get there. He pulled outside and just looked at it.

"Come on." She said as she jumping out of the car. He smiled and got out at a much slower pace and grabbed their bags. They got to the door and walked in together only to pause at who was at the desk.

"Uh Bulk?" Tommy asked as Bulk just stared at them.

"Tommy, Kimberly, I thought that you weren't coming until tomorrow." He said as he came around the desk to get their bags.

"You work here?" Kim asked as she watched him.

"Well not really, you see Skull and I own this place. I'm just working the desk because our night manger is sick." He said as he got their bags and led them down the hallway to their room.

"Wow. I think I'm amazed." Tommy said as he followed Bulk and Kim.

"Oh it's nothing really," he shrugged. "Just something that Skull and I wanted to do. So, how was Jason and Trini's wedding? I wanted to go but we couldn't get away." He said as he stopped at the door on the right.

"It was great." Kim said as Bulk opened the door.

"What do you think?" He asked as he walked into behind them and sat their bags on the bed.

"It's wonderful." She said as she looked around the room. It was very basic in its design but the touches of color in the paintings and vases gave it a homely feel. The bed was on the far wall and looked like it was big enough for more than just her and Tommy. It also had the softest looking comforter on it.

"This is nice." Tommy said as Bulk nodded then turned and left them standing there.

"Okay so I did have my doubts about Bulk and Skull running this when we first came in but this is a beautiful room." Kim said as she walked over to the bed and sat down.

"I know what you mean." He said as he walked over to the bed to grab their bags and set them on the low dresser on the opposite wall. He then walked back over to the bed and saw that Kim was already passed out. He smiled as he took off her shoes and pulled the covers out from under her. Sitting down on the bed, he took off his shoes before getting up to change his clothes. He tucked Kim in and walked over to shut off the lights before climbing into bed himself. As soon as his head touched the pillow, he was out.

XXXX

"Uh, phone call for you." Bulk said from behind him. Reaching his hand over his head Tommy took the phone. There were only a handful of people who even knew he was here. He was out at the pool while Kim was in the spa getting a massage.

"Tommy, I have some bad news." Andros said over the phone. Tommy laid down the paper he had been reading. He knew that Andros had been doing recon on the moon. He still kept in contact with the man from KO-35. Andros had been calling him about the possibility of Serpentra being found on the moon. It was something that could not happen. Zedd's zord would be too powerful for anyone to destroy.

"What have you found?" He asked as he got up and walked into the hotel. He didn't want anyone to hear what he was saying.

"The remaining generals from the Machine Empire have uncovered something. I believe that it is Serpentra. You need to assemble a team to destroy it now before they power it up." Andros told him.

"Okay well just meet me at the hanger and I will have your team." He said before ending the connection. What would he tell Kim and who would he ask to be on the team?

XXXX

Kim was just walking to her room when she saw Tommy walking in. He was on the phone which was weird since he didn't like to be bothered when he was on vacation. She smiled until she heard him say meet at the hanger. Something was wrong and he was meeting someone. She decided to walk up to him and see what the problem was.

"Tommy, are you okay?" She asked as he looked at her.

"Kim, we need to go back to the room. I have something to tell you." He said as he led her back down the hall to their room. He basically pushed her in while he shut the door.

"Okay what's going on?" She asked as she sat on the bed while he paced.

"Well Andros has been doing some recon on the moon. He saw the last remaining generals of the Machine Empire digging up Serpentra." He told her.

"What? I thought that it was destroyed." She said jumping up from the bed.

"No it wasn't but that's not all Andros wants me to assemble a team to go to the moon." He said.

"Who are you going to get?" She asked him sitting back down.

"I don't know but I thought about all the Reds to cut down on confusion and involve all the teams." He said as he stopped pacing to look at her.

"Actually I think that that is a great idea but one problem." She said standing up and walking over to him.

"What problem?" He asked in a panic.

"You are going to need a Pink." She told him.

"No Kim you are not going. I refuse to let you go." He said stepping back from her.

"What? I beg your pardon; you cannot tell me where I can and cannot go." She said as her eyes fired up.

"Kim this is going to be dangerous as it is and I can't be watching out for you." He said as he took a step toward her but paused when he saw her face.

"I think I can watch my back since I was a ranger long before you came on the scene. If you don't let me come, this is it." She said with anger.

"Kimberly, I don't want you to get hurt." He said trying to sooth her.

"I won't and who knows you better than me?" She said he walked up to her.

"You're right. Okay if you come, you have to be careful." Looking down at his watch he said, "I guess we need to get going. I also have to call the Reds." He said as she nodded and went over to her bag. She grabbed a pair of jeans and a light pink shirt. This was going to be fun with all the guys. She couldn't wait to get started.

XXXX

Okay what did everyone think? Please let me know. The next chapter will be up hopefully soon. Again I am sorry for the wait however long it might be.


	7. Meeting at the Hanger

A/N: I don't own anything. First off I would like to say thank-you to everyone who has reviewed this story and a huge thank-you to my lovely beta. I hope that everyone likes this chapter.

XXXX

Tommy watched as Kim packed their bags. He looked back at his phone and began scrolling through his phonebook. He paused at Carter's name. This was it; his only hope was that they all agreed. He heard the ringing then finally Carter answered his phone.

"Carter Grayson." Carter said in lieu of a hello.

"Carter, it's me Tommy. I have a mission for you." He said as Kim smiled while still packing their bags. He sounded so nervous about asking all the Reds to take this mission.

"I'm in." Carter said on the other end.

"You haven't even heard what's going on," Tommy said with a smile. "I may want you to kill someone." Carter's willingness to do anything ranger related was one reason that Tommy had called the Lightspeed Ranger first.

"Well since you never asked for help in missions, I know that it is something big." Carter said as Tommy laughed.

"I know; Andros called me this morning and told me that the last remaining generals had found Serpentra on the moon. We can't let them power up the zord." Tommy told him as he sat on the edge of the bed.

"Sounds great, where do I need to meet you?" Carter asked him.

"At the hanger." Tommy said.

"Okay I can pick up the newest Red on my way in," Carter informed him. "I believe his name is Cole and he is on the Wild Force team him."

"Yes I think that that's his name and it would be great if you could pick him up. It's a Reds only mission." Tommy stated as Kim cleared her throat. "Sorry there is one Pink that is coming." Tommy said with a glare at her back.

"So Kim was there when you got the call, right?" Carter asked with a laugh.

"You guessed it, but we need to get everyone to the hanger so you might want to leave now." He said as Carter said okay and they hung up

"You know I could knock you out and do this mission without you." Kim said walking over to him.

"Yea you could but you don't know where the hanger is." Tommy pointed out as Kim sat in his lap.

"Oh I think that I can get Andros to tell me. I think he is a little scared of me." She said as she weaved her arms around his neck.

"Everyone is scared of you, well everyone but Trini. Now we have to get on the road and I have several more Reds to call." He said as she kissed his cheek and got up. He grabbed their bags and walked beside her to his Jeep. He threw the bags in the back and jumped in the passenger seat. Since he was going to be calling people, he didn't want to drive and explain everything he had too.

"Uh did you forget that I don't know where we are going?" Kim pointed out as she got in behind the wheel.

"I'll give you directions. First head back to Angel Grove." He said as he pulled out his phone and started calling the other Reds. He got Leo on the first ring and he agreed to meet at the hanger. T.J. was next and he promised that he would be there as soon as possible. Then Tommy called Wes and the Time Force Ranger was all in agreement and said that he would bring Eric with him. He said that he wasn't technically a Red but his suit was mostly red. Tommy paused on Rocky's name. He wanted the ape man there but he was worried about his back. Rocky hadn't been in the suit since he had hurt his back before the Turbo mission.

"Are you going to call Rocky?" Kim asked interrupting his thoughts. How she could read him, he had no idea.

"I'm not sure, I mean I want to but I'm worried about his back," Tommy said looking over at her. "I know that it is fine now, but one wrong move and he could throw it out again."

"I know but he would be hurt if you didn't ask him," She pointed out. "Plus, he also has the Ninjetti powers to protect him." A few years ago, Billy had found a way to restore their animal spirits. He said that if the Earth was attacked again that everyone needed some power to use. Jason, Trini, and Zack had their original powers; the Ninjetti's had theirs except for Kat. She and the other Zeo had their Zeonizers. Everyone had at least had one power to use. Tommy was thankful for that now.

"I know Kim but what if he gets hurt? I would know that it's my fault." He said resting his head back against the seat.

"You need to call him otherwise you will never hear the end of it. Rocky is smart enough to know if his body can take it." She told him.

"Yeah you're right. Oh and turn right at the next light." He said as he brought back up Rocky's number and hit send. His next worry was calling Jason on his honeymoon. He really didn't want to incur the wrath of Trini. The phone rang for what seemed like forever when Rocky finally answered.

"Tommy, my man are you coming over today for some serious guy bonding? Aisha and the other girls are hitting the mall." Rocky said.

"No, not today, Rocko," he said. "I have a mission and you can say no if you want too."

"Well what is it?" Rocky asked.

"It's a Reds only mission," Tommy told him. "The last remaining generals of the Machine Empire have found Serpentra on the moon; Andros called and wanted me to assemble a team."

Kim smiled as she knew that Rocky would say yes because he was a Power Ranger and could never say no to a fight.

"I'm so there. Are we meeting at the hanger?" He asked as he walked through his house to find his morpher. He could be at the hanger in a matter of minutes.

"Yea, I'm on my way there now. Carter, Cole, Eric, Wes, Leo, T.J., and Andros are already on their way." Tommy said as Kim turned right at the light. She noticed that they were close to where the Command Center once was. She turned to look at Tommy and saw his smile. He would pay for not telling her later. Apparently everyone knew where it was besides her. She never thought that she would have any reason to go back there.

"Are you going to call Jason?" Rocky asked Tommy; bringing him back to his conversation.

"Not sure since he is on his honeymoon." Tommy said which caused Kim to smile. Jason would flip if Tommy didn't call him even if he was on his honeymoon.

"Well I will let you do whatever and see you in a few minutes." Rocky said as Tommy hung up the phone.

"So this hanger, is built where the Command Center once stood." She said turning off onto a gravel road that led to the Command Center.

"Yea. Andros thought that it would be better if we had a private hanger for the Megaship hidden in the hill." He said with a laugh.

"Good idea, now quit stalling and call Jason," she said. "He will be hurt if you don't call him; in fact, he may not even have his phone on so you can leave a message, that way, he will just be mad at himself and not at you." She slowed down, as they were getting close and she didn't want to miss the turn-off.

"You may be right; hopefully he will have his phone off." Tommy said as he hit 4 on his speed dial. He counted the rings before Jason's voicemail picked up. Thankfully he didn't answer the phone. Tommy left him a hurried message and then hung up the phone. He then turned his phone off so that Jason couldn't call him back.

"Turning your phone off won't help." Kim pointed out as she pulled up outside the hanger. She saw that there were no cars there yet.

"Okay Andros should be here with the ship so if you want to go in and meet with him that's fine. I think I will wait for everyone out here." He said as they climbed out.

"Well that would be fine but I need to show you something else I found. Hello Kim." Andros said as the hanger door opened to reveal the Red Space Ranger.

"Hi Andros, I see that married life agrees with you." She said as she walked over to hug him. He and Ashley had been married a little over a year now.

"Yes it does but don't tell my wife about this mission. She thinks that I am here working on the ship." He said as Kim started laughing. Apparently none of the girls were to know about this mission.

"I won't, but she is smarter than you are giving her credit for," Kim said, laughter still in her voice. "Now, since you need to show Tommy something, let's go inside."

Andros nodded and led them into the hanger and into the ship. Kim wandered the ship as Tommy followed Andros. She had been on the ship a few times. Ashley had had her bridal shower on the ship for the ranger girls. The ship had actually been in space then and all the girls had been teleported up to it. Not much had changed on the ship, she could tell. Getting closer to the bridge she could Tommy and Andros talking. They were discussing how to approach the moon without the generals seeing them. She stood in front of the door and leaned against it. It made her excited to see the old Tommy coming back out. She had missed the ranger Tommy more than she had ever thought she would. Finally Tommy and Andros noticed that she was at the door.

"Kim what do you think about the upgrades?" Andros asked her with a smile.

"Since I think the ship looks the same, I am guessing that they are computer upgrades." Kim said with a smile and walked over to them.

"Yea they are but the living quarters were also updated. Ashley has been redecorating the ship one room at a time." He said walking past her to greet the others as they came in.

"So what have you decided?" She asked Tommy.

"We are going to try and sneak in and hope that it works." He said with a smile.

"I'm sure it will but I hear the others so you might want to join Andros outside." She said as he leaned down and kissed her before walking out to join Andros.

XXXX

"Man this is so awesome. I can't believe that you were all Red Rangers." Cole said as he tried to stand still. He had never seen any of the rangers before and it was exciting. He knew all the rangers though because he felt that it was his duty as the Red Ranger to know all the rangers that had came before him.

"Yea all of us but Eric here, he is not actually a Red Ranger but he wanted to come." Wes said as the others smiled. They knew what he was talking about. They all wanted to be on this mission because Tommy had asked them.

"So where are Andros and Tommy? I thought that they were supposed to be here." Rocky said as everyone looked around.

"What? The Tommy Oliver is going on this mission? He is like the living legend." Cole said, now almost jumping up and down. T.J., Carter, and Rocky all started laughing. Carter didn't tell Cole that Tommy was leading this mission because it would have been a long car ride if he did.

"I don't know about living legend but yes I am on this mission." Tommy said from behind them.

"Tommy, you cut your hair?" T.J. asked. It had been too long since he had seen the former ranger.

"Yea a while ago but are we ready to get this show on the road?" He asked them.

"Wait isn't there one more Red coming?" Cole asked as he looked around for Jason.

"I left him a message but apparently he couldn't get away." Tommy said as they turned toward the ship. They heard a motorcycle pull up and all turned to see who it was.

"You didn't think that you could do this without the Original Red Ranger, did you?" Jason asked as everyone gathered around him as he removed his helmet.

"I'm glad you could make it." Tommy said as he smiled. He felt better about this mission now that he had his best friend on it. He thought about Kim waiting in the ship and knew that everyone else would be shocked to see her here with him. He couldn't wait to see their faces when they saw her.

"Okay well we need to get this mission on the road." Andros said as they all got in the ship and made their way to the bridge. Cole was dragging behind as he paused to look at everything on the ship. He finally caught up with them when he ran into Carter's back. Looking up he saw that all of the rangers except for Tommy and Andros were stopped at the door. He peeked around them and saw the Original Pink Ranger standing by the screens with her hands on her hips. This petite woman was who almost all the former rangers were scared of; she didn't look like she would hurt a fly let alone a teammate. They must've been teasing him when they told him of her.

XXXX

"What are you doing here?" Jason asked Kim was they settled down and waited to the ship to take off.

"I should be asking you the same thing. Shouldn't you be with your wife?" Kim asked him as he winced.

"Yea well I hope that we get back before she noticed I'm gone." He said looking a little worried.

"Where does she think you are at?" Kim asked him as the others all listened in.

"The movies, she was at the spa for the day and wanted me to go to the movies." He said as Tommy and Kim laughed. The others just looked at them like they were crazy.

"Okay we will try to get you back before your terror of a wife knows you're gone." Andros said which caused everyone to laugh once again. The tension was suddenly gone with their laughter. This was going to be a great mission.

XXXX

"Aisha, did you call Kim? You know she loves the mall." Kat said as they said down in the food court.

"I tried but she didn't answer; I guess I should've tried her cell, but who knows she may already be here." She said as she grabbed her pizza. It was the best pizza and one reason that she loved shopping so much.

"No I called her cell and she didn't answer," Tanya told them. "I wonder where that girl is."

"Who knows?" Aisha shrugged. "Hey, does anyone else think that she and our fearless leader are back together? I watched them at the wedding and they were mighty close."

"Oh yes I know," Kat exclaimed. "But with those two, you never know what to think; I mean, they have been doing this dance for years."

"I know," Tanya nodded.

"Personally, I think that they are just scared to try again." Kat said.

"I agree with you there Kat," Aisha said.

"Me, too," Tanya said. "Although, who would've ever thought that those two would be afraid to date each other?"

"Definitely not I," Aisha shook her head.

"They have been working towards being back together," Tanya added. "They just have to take that step."

"How can we make them take that leap though?" Aisha asked her. She was slightly frustrated as she seriously wanted her best friends happy again and she knew that being back with each other would do that. "We need a plan."

Kat and Tanya nodded in agreement and all three got back to their shopping; the plan would get started on when they got back home.

XXXX

What did everyone think? Please let me know. I hope that everyone enjoyed this chapter and the next should be out soon.


	8. Journey into Space

A/N: I don't own anything but the concept. I hope that everyone enjoys this and a big thanks to my beta and to everyone that reads the chapters and has put the story on your alert list. This chapter is for you.

XXXX

Andros finally got the ship in the air and headed for the moon; it would take them a little over 3 hours to get there. Since they had the time, the rangers wandered around the ship trying to get their bearings. With the exception of Andros and Tommy, the rangers went down to the simulation deck to get in some fighting practice since most of them had been out of the ranger game for a while. Andros stayed on the bridge to watch the moon with DECA while Tommy went up to the work-out room; he had wanted to be by himself. There was so much that he had to think about, so many things that had been on his mind lately. He changed into a pair of gym shorts and a white tank top. It was a good thing that Kim had brought their bags on board. He thought about Kim as he walked closer to the punching bag. He loved her more than anything else, which was why he didn't want to push her too much; all he wanted was to be with her. What he couldn't understand was why it was so hard for them? He started punching the bag with all his force, thinking that maybe if he hit it hard enough all his problems would be over, oblivious to the eyes that watched him. Kim stood near the door, silent as ever, her heart breaking as she watched him. She knew without a doubt that she was the one that did this to him; he was broken because of her. She loved him more than life, yet all she seemed capable of doing was to keep coming into his life and hurting him. She watched him punch the bag harder and the sweat poured off his head. Walking over to him, she stayed quiet and let him continue venting his frustration on the red bag hanging in front of him. He finally sensed her presence and turned around.

"Hi." He said quietly to her before grabbing his towel.

"Tell me." She pleaded with him. They had to get past this if they were ever going to be together again.

"Tell you, what?" He asked trying to skirt around the issue. He looked around the room before meeting her eyes.

"Tommy, I have known you too many years for you to side-step me. Is it the mission?" She asked him while she walked closer to him and holding his eyes with hers.

"No I'm not worried about the mission." He told her as he wiped his forehead with the towel.

"Then it's me on the mission that you are worried about." She said, and there was sadness in her voice; something that he had never heard from her.

"No, it's not that you are on the mission." He started but she interrupted him.

"So it's me." She said turning around. He grabbed her arm and turned her back around.

"If you would just give me a minute," He said as she nodded before he continued. "I'm not worried about you being here, in fact I love that you're here. It just feels right with you here by my side like old times. Kim, we have been dancing around each other for years and now that I finally have you back, I don't want to lose you again."

She opened her mouth to talk but he cut her off. "And before you speak, I don't blame you for any of this. I am as much to blame as you are for the split. Kim, I'm tired of this dance and I want to end it now. Kimberly Anne Hart, will you marry me?" He asked as he got down on one knee in front of her. Kim's hands flew up to her mouth as tears streamed down her face. He held up the ring that he had carried on him since the day he had bought it.

"Oh Tommy," she whispered. "I thought I broken us with that letter. I thought you were telling me that you could not see us going any further."

She sniffled as she looked at him. "I have been so worried that you won't love me anymore." She looked at the ring with tears in her eyes. It was perfect. She couldn't say anything more so she nodded her answer.

"Is that a yes?" He asked and she nodded again. He jumped up and put the ring on her finger before picking her up and swinging her around, just like he did all those years ago. He set her back on her feet and she put her arms around his neck and held on tight.

"I love you." She said into his neck and he smiled over her head.

"I love you too beautiful, and no you didn't break us with that letter. We broke ourselves because we let it happen; we drifted apart." He said into her hair. He heard a noise across the room and looked up. Standing there in the door smiling was his best friend and her big brother.

"So you finally popped the question?" he smiled. "I'm so proud of you two for finally getting to this point."

He walked over to them and laughed as he pulled them into a hug. The others rangers heard the commotion and decided to go and check it out. They saw that Jason was hugging Kim. They also noticed that she had a ring on a certain finger of her left hand. TJ and Cole stood back as the other rangers went rushing in to say their congratulations; T.J., because he was waiting for the right moment to go in and Cole because he just didn't know what to think.

"Is this what it means to be a ranger?" He asked the man standing next to him.

"Yea, this is what it means." T.J. said with a smile. He finally saw an opening and he charged in. Cole followed at a much slower pace. He didn't know these rangers very well but they felt like family to him.

XXXX

"DECA, how close are we to the moon?" Tommy asked the on board computer.

"We are within an hour of landing." She responded.

"Thank you." Tommy said with a smile. He could never get used to talking to the computer.

"You are welcome." She said which caused him to smile even more.

"What has you smiling?" Kim asked from behind him.

"Talking to DECA." He said looking down at her.

"Because you can't see her?" Kim asked with a smile of her own. She knew him so well.

"Yeah." He said as the others walked in and settled down.

"Okay so what is the plan?" She asked. Tommy looked over the room and sighed. He knew that Zordon would be proud of all these rangers here and ready to fight. It didn't matter that they were all on different teams because they all had one goal.

"Okay we are going to sneak in and work in groups of two except for Kim. She is going to get on board Serpentra and try to disabled it." He said as Jason and Rocky just looked at him like he was crazy.

"Why does Kim get to sneak on board?" Cole asked not seeing the looks that Jason and Rocky were giving their fearless leader.

"It's because he thinks that she can sneak on board and not be noticed. I hate to tell you bro but isn't that a little dangerous for her." Jason pointed out. He was furious that Tommy would even suggest that Kim get on board the zord and by herself no less.

"I can handle this, Jason. In case you forgot I was a ranger too." Kim said with a hint of anger. T.J., Rocky, Andros, Wes, and Eric all scooted back in their chairs while Cole leaned forward. He had never seen this Pink Ranger get angry. He was in for a shock if he thought that sweet Kim couldn't take on any and all of the Reds before her, starting with her undeclared big brother.

"I know you can that's not the point. The point is that you are going to be by yourself and trying to disable a zord you know nothing about." He said calmly. Tommy just stepped back and let Jason handle this conversation with Kim. He had already fought with her about it but now that he thought about it, it was sounding better than her fighting by herself against one of the generals.

"It is so the point. You want me to stay on board the ship and that's not happening. I can do this. You should have faith in me." Kim said quietly not taking her eyes from Jason.

"I do have faith in you but I fear for you too." He said bitterly. She was determined to do this and there was nothing he or anyone else could say to stop her. He looked at Tommy and sighed. If her new fiancé was letting her do this then he should also. He hated to see who would dare cross a mad Kim. He would also watch out for her.

XXXX

"What's wrong, Aisha?" Tanya asked as they walked into Belk. They were almost finished with their shopping.

"Rocky's not answering his cell or the house phone." She said as they paused as a rack of shirts.

"He might have gotten a hold of one of the guys and they are out doing something." Tanya pointed out.

"Yea I guess you're right." Aisha said as put away her phone. She had just wanted to check up on him. He had seemed a little down with Jason moving out of the apartment even though he still had Adam there to keep him company. Kat and Angela finally caught up with them and they finished up their shopping before heading home. She would just check on Rocky then.

XXXX

"Where is my husband?" Trini asked the maid who had come in to pick up the dirty towels. He couldn't be still at the movies.

"I'm not sure, Miss," the maid answered. "He went out about three hours ago saying that he wanted to get you something nice." She gave a tiny smile before walking out of the room with the dirty towels. She walked back in seconds later with fresh towels and placed them in the bathroom.

"Thank you." Trini said as she looked around the room. Something wasn't right. Jason would not be out getting her something. He wasn't that thoughtful, no something had happened and he thought he could sneak out and fix it before she had even noticed he had been gone. She had a hunch that it was something to do with the rangers. She didn't know why she thought that but she did. Finding his bag tucked under the bed, she opened it and searched the hidden pocket. He always had his morpher on him ever since Billy had it linked back up with the morphing grid. When she came up empty, she got mad.

"Jason Lee Scott, you better not be doing ranger stuff on our honeymoon!" She said through gritted teeth. Finding her cell, she dialed the one person who would know where her husband was at. If he didn't know then she would call Tommy.

XXXX

Billy looked down at his cell and held his breath. Somehow Trini had found out that Jason was gone. He hit the ignore button and shut his phone off. Kim had given him one job and that was to make sure that the news of their little trip to the moon was kept a secret and knowing Trini like he did, she would badger it out of him. Hopefully Kat would call his house phone when she didn't get him on his cell. He was scared that Trini would come over. He wouldn't be able to keep it from her then. She would read it in his face.

XXXX

"Okay that's odd." Trini said as she tried Billy's cell phone again. It kept saying that the person was not available. Billy must be doing some kind of experiment or something. If that was the case then he wouldn't answer his house phone either. Giving up on Billy, Trini tried Tommy's cell next but it rang and rang with no one picking it up. Now Trini was getting mad because something was up. Tommy always answered his phone.

"Okay well, let's try one of the girls." She said to herself as she called Aisha's phone.

XXXX

"You see he's calling you back." Tanya said as Aisha's phone started ringing.

"No that's Trini ring. I wonder what she wants considering she is on her honeymoon." Aisha said as she dug through her purse to find her phone.

"Hello, Trini." She said seconds later.

"Aisha, do you know where my husband is?" Trini asked without preamble.

"You have only been married a day and you have already lost you husband shame on you Trini." Aisha said with a laugh.

"No I have not lost him. He has left the hotel and I think that it has something to do with you know what." Trini said with anger.

"Why would you think that? I mean he has been retired for quite some time." Aisha said as she paused. Both Jason and Rocky was missing, what were the odds of that? Tanya, Angela, and Kat looked at Aisha's face and knew that something was wrong.

"Aisha, what's wrong?" Kat asked her and Aisha said bye to Trini and walked out of the store. Tanya, Angela, and Kat put down their items and followed her out. Something was up and they wanted to know what it was.

XXXX

"Andros, we will be landing on the moon in two minutes." DECA said to the Red Space Ranger.

"Thank you DECA. We are ready." Andros said as he turned to face the others. It was finally time to do what they had come here to do.

"Alright everyone, you know what to do." Tommy said as they all nodded.

"It's Morphin Time!" Jason, Kim, Rocky, and Tommy shouted.

"Tyrannosaurs!" Jason shouted.

"Pink Ranger Power!" Kim said.

"Red Ranger Power!" Rocky stated.

"Zeo Ranger Five: Red!" Tommy yelled.

"Shift into Turbo! Red Lighting Turbo Power!" T.J. shouted.

"Let's Rocket!" Andros yelled.

"Go Galactic!" Leo yelled.

"Lightspeed Rescue!" Carter shouted.

"Time for, Time Force!" Wes said.

"Quantum Power!" Eric stated.

"Wild Access!" Cole yelled.

All the Red Rangers and Kim stood there in their suits as they each morphed.

"Okay everyone, you know what to do." Tommy said as they nodded.

"You know what, Kim; we are the best because we are Ninjetti." Rocky said as she nodded.

"Rocky." Jason said with a sigh.

"You are just jealous because you are not Ninjetti." Rocky said which caused everyone to laugh. It broke the tension and calmed all the rangers before they walked off the ship to face the enemy.

XXXX

"Okay the guys are gone or not answering their phones. We need to find out what is going on." Trini said as Aisha, Kat, Angela, and Tanya nodded. They had tried to get Adam and Billy on the phone as well but neither was answering. Something was up because it was highly unlikely that all the guys would have dead cell phones.

"Has anyone tried to call Kim? She might be with Tommy." Kat pointed out to them.

"She's not answering either. I tried her on my way over here." Trini said as she sat on the loveseat in front of them.

"Hey it may mean nothing, guys. They are grown boys and may just have their phones in their cars while they are out doing something. Now come let's relax and wait for them." Tanya said to the other girls.

"Tanya's right, we will ask them when they get back." Aisha said before turning on the TV. It was the least they could do while they waited on the boys.

XXXX

"Billy, what did Kim say? Tanya has tried to call me ten times within the last two hours. Thankfully she has stopped but I fear that that means something bad." Adam said as he sat down next to Billy. Zack was standing up against the wall. Billy had called both of them so that they could help him with keeping everything under wraps.

"She said to make sure that NASA didn't get a hold of footage of them on the moon. They have to destroy Serpentra and the generals." He said tapping into NASA's database. He was going to get into so much trouble if anyone found out.

"Why didn't they tell us?" Zack asked walking over to them.

"Kim said that it was a Red mission and she was just there because she threatened Tommy. It's a leader thing." Adam said as Billy nodded.

"Okay well let's keep them out of the news at all costs." Zack said as he pulled up a chair to sit on the other side of Billy. It was going to be a long day.

XXXX

What did everyone think? Please let me know. I had fun with this chapter with the dymanic of the Reds and Kim. Also there are only two chapters left to this story so the countdown is on. The next chapter should be out soon and don't forget to tell me what you thought of this chapter.


	9. Battle on the Moon

A/N: I don't own anything but the concept. I want to thank everyone for reading and reviewing each chapter and also a huge thanks to my beta for keeping me straight. I hope that everyone likes this chapter. Also there is one chapter left after this so the story is just about over.

XXXX

"Okay everyone stick to your partner no matter what. These generals are not playing around. Kim, get on that zord and destroy any and everything that looks like it would power it then get your butt back to the ship." Tommy said as everyone nodded.

"Be careful." Kim whispered to him as she took off for Serpentra while the Reds jumped out to get her some distraction to get on board.

Tommy was nervous about letting her go but he pushed that feeling down and got back to fighting. She was a ranger, one of the first ones and he just had to trust in her ability as the ranger he knew she was.

XXXX

"Okay, DECA just sent me their coordinates on the moon," Billy said as he pounded away on the keyboard. "So now all we have to do is keep NASA away."

"And how are we going to do that?" Zack asked looking at him.

"I'm not sure." Billy said causing Zack and Adam to look at each other. If Billy didn't know how to do something then they were in deep trouble.

XXXX

Kim had finally got on the zord. She looked out the front and saw that the Reds were fighting well. Now she just had to do her job. Looking around she started pulling cords and cutting them so that they couldn't be fixed. She made her way to the back of the zord and saw the power supply or rather, what she thought was the power supply. It looked like a big battery. Now all she had to do was destroy that. Looking around she found a staff with a broke off end to use. Picking it up, she charged toward the power supply and was ready to stab it but was grabbed from behind and thrown to the side. She landed against the power supply.

"I don't think so, Kimmy." A voice said from the darkness to her right. Looking up, her eyes widened in shock and she cursed under her breath.

"What are you doing here?" Kim said as she struggled to get up. This was not good news and Tommy would be even angrier at this latest development. He would storm in here if he knew who was standing in front of her right at this moment.

XXXX

Jason was looking around for Kim but couldn't find her. She should have been out by now. Kicking the general in the leg, he looked again at Serpentra before turning back. He had to finish this guy off so that he could go and check on her. He had a bad feeling about this whole thing, it was almost like someone had set it up to get to them. Punching the guy to his right, he took his mind off of Kim and back on the problem at hand.

XXXX

Tommy was trying to stay close Cole as he fought. He wanted to make sure that he wasn't tired out or by himself. He had been watching Serpentra as well to keep an eye out for Kim. She had been in there for about ten minutes now and should be getting out. He was grabbed from behind. Turning and throwing his hips to the side he elbowed the general in the stomach before grabbing their arm and throwing them over his head.

"I see why you are called great." Cole said which caused Tommy to laugh. He would have to tell him later that Kim had shown him that move. It had been a part of her self defense class and unfortunately for him and Jason, they had signed up to be the attackers. They learned never to do that again. He saw that the general was getting back up and he sighed because apparently he was not going down easy.

XXXX

Rocky had just taken down his and Carter's general when he looked around for Kim. He had been keeping an eye out for her like he was sure Jason and Tommy were. Sensing that he needed to rest his back for a minute he motioned for Carter to step in. He didn't need Aisha's grief over hurting his back again. Carter got the general back down as he blasted him away. Their general was finally gone. Turning they went to join up with the others to help with their generals.

XXXX

"My dear Kimberly, this is my zord. Why would I not be here? I have been waiting for you to come back within my grasp. You are going to pay for all that Zordon has cost me, and then you will die." Zedd said as he stalked toward Kim. She had finally gotten up and was braced for the next attack.

"I don't think so, Zedd. You forget that Tommy, Jason, and Rocky along with several other Reds are waiting for me outside. I refuse to die at your hands." Kim said as she called up her bow from long ago. She knew that she would need a weapon to fight against him. Hopefully she could get outside because she knew that she couldn't defeat him by herself. He was too strong for her. It was better to fight with your teammates and not try to be a hero.

"I didn't forget that those excuses of rangers are outside and I will deal with them after you are destroyed." Zedd said as he raised the staff that he had taken from Kim. He charged toward her but she easily blocked that attack with her bow. She then dropped down and swept her leg under him and knocked him down. Flipping over him, she took off toward the door but was thrown to the side by a blast from him. She slid to the floor before coming up on her right knee. This was going to be hard for her to get to the door but she had too. Struggling to gain her feet, she blocked several beams from him with a combination of her bow and just ducking out of the way.

XXXX

"Billy, look at this screen." Zack said as Billy and Adam looked at what he was talking about.

"Oh that is not good. Kim is going to kill me." Billy said as a CNN anchor woman started talking about the Red Power Rangers on the moon fighting. They had live footage from the moon and Billy hung his head. He had been watching everything but apparently he had missed something. How had they gotten that close without Billy's scans picking them up?

"Hey guys I don't see Kim. Where is she?" Adam asked as Billy pulled up his own images from the moon. He didn't see her on his screens either. Something was wrong.

"I think that she is still on Serpentra." Billy said as he panned the area to stop on the zord. He started scanning for her energy signature and found that she was still in Serpentra but there was someone else there too.

"Billy, what's wrong? Did you find Kim?" Zack asked him looking over at him.

"I found her but someone is with her." He said trying to scan the other person.

"Well since all the Reds are fighting it has to be someone or something else. You think that one of the generals snuck on board?" Adam said looking from the screen to Billy.

"No I think that it's Zedd." Billy said looking up from his computer. The looks on Adam's and Zack's face were that of pure horror. How did he become evil again and why was he there?

XXXX

"How did you turn evil again?" Kim asked in a huff as she blocked another punch.

"I wasn't totally turned good and neither was Rita, so I took her last bit of evil and forged it with mine. It took too long to force all of Zordon's goodness out of me but finally I am back to my evil self." He said as he caught her foot and threw her against the wall once more. She got up and ducked another punch from Zedd before gaining her feet and grabbing his shoulders to knee him then she dived away from him. She was almost at the door now but Zedd was attacking with a vengeance. She was picked up from behind and thrown into the nearest wall again but thankfully she was even closer to the door. Standing she made a leap to the door but Zedd sliced her leg with the staff. His staff went through her suit and hit flesh. She didn't even give her leg a passing thought though because she had to get out of there. The door was right there. Stumbling out of the door, she looked for Tommy. She needed his help, right now. This was getting bad. Her leg was on fire and she was sure that he had hit something major because she was feeling light-headed and everything was blurring before her eyes. She couldn't think about that now though. Zedd was coming out after her. She was doing all she could to just block his attacks now. He was stronger than he had been in the past.

XXXX

Tommy and Cole swung their swords at the same time and destroyed the last of the generals. He then turned to find Kim. Now he was worried about her because she had not come out of Serpentra at all. Glancing around he started toward the zord and saw Kim stumble out. He then started running toward only to pause when he saw Zedd come walking out of the zord with a staff raised high. All the breath was gone from his body as he continued toward Kim. The feet that separated them were gone in seconds. The others were running after Tommy because they had seen Kim and Zedd come out of Serpentra. They also noticed that Kim was favoring one of her legs more than the other. Getting closer they watched Kim get back up and fire an arrow at Zedd before she fell back. Tommy got there just in time to catch her. He lowered her to the ground before jumping up and swinging his sword high. He came down and sliced one of Zedd's shoulders then raised his sword again before swinging it low before coming up with it. It caught Zedd on his left leg. He went down to his knees as Tommy came down again on his shoulder. The other Reds finally made it to them and took care of Zedd before tossing him back into his zord. They each had taken a swing at Zedd until he had fallen into a heap before them. Andros wired charges so that no one could ever use Serpentra again. He would blow the zord sky-high when they got airborne. Tommy turned back to Kim and rushed back to her side. He picked her back up and held her close. He saw blood on his arm and looked down. She had a deep cut up the inside of her right leg and it looked bad. Andros looked back at Tommy and knew that they had to get Kim back on board and fast. She was bleeding and he could see flesh where her ranger suit had been; his face paled beneath his helmet because he knew that it had to have been a hard slice to even go through the suit.

"Tommy, she needs medical help now." Jason said as Tommy nodded and made his way back to the ship. He ran the entire way as the other rangers followed him into the ship. DECA slid the doors shut and began the liftoff as the rangers rushed to the sickbay to tend to Kim.

XXXX

Tommy laid Kim down on the bed and removed her helmet. Her beautiful brown hair spilled out of the helmet onto the table. He brushed it to the side. Looking up at Jason, he took a deep breath. They had all removed their helmets on their way into sickbay.

"She needs to power down before I can see how bad her leg really is." Andros said as he pushed a tray of instruments to the bed next to Kim. He hoped that he had everything that he would need.

"Okay." Tommy said as he flipped her morpher. She was instantly changed back into her street clothes of blue jean shorts and a pink tank top. He grabbed her hand again and felt a faint pulse in her thumb. It gave him more hope than he would've ever thought possible.

"Okay Tommy, I need you to leave the room while I get everything hooked up. I will let you back in when I am done." Andros said as Jason and Rocky pushed Tommy out of the room. He looked back at her one last time before the door closed. She was still passed out on the exam table looking pale, paler than when she had been losing her powers. She looked so fragile that it pained Tommy to leave her there. Tommy paced the walkway while the others watched him. He kept seeing her stumble out of that zord with Zedd stalking after her. He was thankful that he had made it to her in time to catch her before she hit the ground. Everyone in the hall all prayed that Andros could stop the bleeding and save Kim; he had to for Tommy's sanity as his whole world was in there on that table.

"I want that ship destroyed now! I don't want anyone to ever try to power it up or bring Zedd back." Tommy screamed as T.J. nodded before walking to the bridge. He would see to that task since Andros was occupied with saving Kim. Everyone had powered down in those seconds as well. They didn't need to be morphed to wait on news of Kim.

"NASA's not going to be happy." Jason pointed out to him from against the wall.

"Screw NASA, my fiancée is lying in that room possibly dying. I want that ship destroyed." He said before turning back to the door. He sank to the floor and hung his head before he started praying like he had never prayed before. She could not be taken from him now. It wasn't fair. They had a life to live together.

XXXX

"Okay DECA, please monitor her heart rate. I have sewn up the leg and it seems like it should heal in no time. It was a good thing that she didn't have any other cuts. She is tougher than I knew." Andros said gathering the instruments up to clean them. He was happy that Kim's condition had not gotten worse as he stitched the cut. He had been worried about her crashing on table. Knowing that he was being pressured, he breathed a huge sigh of relief. He could feel that she would make it as long as she fought for it. Andros stepped out the door and told Tommy he could come in. He stood back as Tommy ran past him. Looking back, he gave a tiny smile before joining the others in the hall. He would wait out here because the only one who needed to be by her side was in there with her. Even Jason had stayed back to let Tommy be alone with her and Kim was his little sister.

XXXX

_Inside Kim's mind_

"_Kimberly." A voice in the distant called out to her. She looked around but didn't see anything. This was a peaceful place with a waterfall and the trees in full bloom around her. She got a feeling that she had been here before. She knew that she was safe as well. It was like she was in a cocoon of warmth and safety. She also didn't hurt here either. _

"_Kimberly." The voice said again as she turned to see Zordon before her in long flowing robes. She looked down at herself and noticed that she was still in her ranger suit and it was stained with her blood. Why was it stained? Everything came back to her in a blinding flash. Zedd had cut her and she had passed out in Tommy's arms. So then why was she here? _

"_Zordon! How? Why?" Kim asked as she ran over to him with no pain in her leg at all. _

"_Kimberly, my dear, you must go back. You cannot stay here." Zordon said as he hugged his Pink Ranger. She had made him proud with holding her own against Zedd. Zordon knew that he didn't have much time with her so he had to make her fight to stay alive. _

"_Why? I feel at peace here and it's beautiful." Kim said looking at him. Why was he making her go back? She was in pain there. How could he want her to be in pain?_

"_Tommy and your friends need you. They love you." He pointed out to her with a sad look on his face. _

"_Tommy." She whispered as she turned away from her mentor. Thinking about her fiancée brought tears to her eyes. She could feel his pain and knew that Zordon was right. Tommy needed her. _

"_Yes he is lost without you. I gave him the second chance to go back to you and now I am giving that choice to you." He said to her as she turned back around. Zordon had given her the greatest gift of Tommy in her life. _

"_If I go back, then you will be dead for real." She said as tears poured down her cheeks. Why was he making her choose between the love of her life and the mentor to all the rangers? Could she be that selfish and choose to live and let Zordon die a second time?_

"_I am already dead, Kimberly. This decision does not bring me back if you choose to die. You will only hurt the one you truly love and who truly loves you." He said as she nodded. She looked at him one last time before closing her eyes. She could feel herself leave him and this place of peace and entered back into the world of hurt and pain. This is where she wanted to be, with Tommy. _

XXXX

Tommy was at her side and holding her hand as he started crying. He had a feeling that she wasn't coming back to him and he had waited too long to be back with her. How could he be so stupid to let her go all those years ago? They could have been married by now with kids at home waiting for them to come back.

"Please come back to me, Kimberly. I love you and I can't live without you." He whispered to her. The others had left the room to deal with the possibility of Kim dying. Andros had given them bad news when he had told them that she had lost a lot of blood and that it had taken him a while to stop the flow of blood. Tommy had rushed to her side and knew that what Andros had said was true. He could lose her. It was like she wasn't fighting to come back to him. He tried to will her to fight to come back to him but it didn't seem to be working.

XXXX

"I'm going to kill those boys!" Aisha said as she paced her living room. They had seen the news report and watched as Serpentra was blown up.

"I what to know what is taking them so long?" Tanya asked them looking around the room. All the girls were tense and mad at the boys. How could they even think to do this mission without informing them? They were a team for goodness sake.

"Well we can go and meet them at the hanger with the others. We know that they have to land there." Kat pointed out as they nodded. They went to Trini's car and made their way to the hanger. Kat took care of calling everyone else and having them meet up at the hanger. The boys would have to deal with their teams for not telling them about this mission. Hopefully they would never do this ever again without telling them.

XXXX

"I'm worried about them. Andros, is there anything we can do?" Jason asked as he paced the hallway. The boys were all silent as they watched Jason paced.

"No I'm sorry. It's all up to her now. She has to push through this." He said to them. They were all hurting. She was one of their own and an Original on top of that. Jason was trying to hold it together but it was hard. He didn't realize how hard until he punched the wall next to Rocky. He didn't even feel the pain that was shooting up his arm. It could be broken for all he cared.

"Jase, what are you doing?" Rocky asked him as the others looked between the two Reds.

"I can't stand this. My little sister and best friend are in there and I can't do anything about it. She may die and he is hurting because of that. I can't do this. I can't be here." He said as he stormed off. T.J. got up to follow after him. Andros went with him while the others waited to see if Kim would make it. They actually didn't know what they could do for Jason that T.J. and Andros couldn't handle. Rocky stayed where he was just in case Tommy needed anything for Kim. He felt his place was here more than with Jason at the moment.

XXXX

Jason was punching the bag when Andros and T.J. walked in. It had taken them several minutes to find him in the ship. They both held back a sigh and shared a look. This was another aspect of being a ranger, being there when another one was in pain and hurting. This was the worst kind of hurt because it was hidden deep where no one could see it.

"Jase, she is strong enough to pull through this. You know her better than any of us except for Tommy." T.J. said coming up behind him. He laid a heavy hand on Jason's shoulder.

"I know but if she dies then we will all blame ourselves. She shouldn't have been on this mission. She should've stayed on Earth where she was protected." Jason said as he started crying. He punched the bag harder before sinking down on the floor. His head buried in his knees. T.J. and Andros had never seen any ranger break down but at this moment they had two of the best rangers ever broken because of one very special woman. They didn't know what to do to help either of them. It was up to Kim. She had to come back to them because she was the heart of the team.

XXXX

Tommy laid his head beside Kim's arm and held her hand tighter. They were closer to Earth but he didn't care because Kim was not awake and barely breathing. He couldn't do this by himself. She had to come back to him. Closing his eyes, he felt her presence all around him trying to comfort him. It also seemed like she was coming back into her body which he knew was not right. He felt her small hand gripped his as his head flew up.

"Kimberly?" He said looking down at her and held his breath until he knew that she was really awake.

"Tommy!" She said as she opened her eyes. He leaned down over her and she raised her arms up to hug him to her. They were both crying when he rose up.

"I thought I had lost you." He said as he wiped her eyes. He was being as gentle as he could be with her.

"You will never lose me." She said with a smile at him. They talked for a little bit before Tommy told DECA to inform everyone that Kim was awake. They all rushed in to see her and to make sure that she was really okay.

"Kimberly!" Jason said as he rushed into the room to the opposite side of the bed from Tommy. Everyone else but Rocky stayed back. They let her closest friends see her first. It was a right that they had earned long ago.

XXXX

"Andros, I do believe that the other rangers are waiting at the hanger." DECA informed the Space ranger.

"Oh not good, not good." He said as he looked back to where everyone was gathered around Kim.

"We have a problem, guys." Andros announced to the gang.

"What is it?" T.J. asked him as everyone turned to look at Andros.

"I do believe the girls have found out about the mission." He said as everyone but Kim and Tommy panicked. Jason was probably worried the most since he had walked out on his honeymoon. His wife was going to kill him. Maybe he could say that he had been abducted during his movie.

XXXX

They landed minutes later in the hanger. Tommy and Kim were by themselves as the others scrambled to find a way off of the ship without the girls finding them.

"Kim, I do believe it would be best if you went out first. Trini won't be mad at you and it would be a surprise to them because they don't know that you were on this mission." Tommy said with a smile.

"Yea you could be right. Help me." She said as she held out her hand. He grabbed it and helped her to stand and saw her grimace. She was a little unstable for a few seconds until she gained her balance.

"I might need to walk out with you." He said as she nodded. It would be too much if she didn't have him to lean on. They heard the bay doors open and made their way to the doors. Kim also wanted to be first because she had a bone to pick with Billy. She had given him one job and he couldn't even do that. Something had happened she knew but she wanted to tease him anyway.

XXXX

"Billy! What are you doing here?" Kat asked her boyfriend as he waited for the bay doors to open. He didn't know that she was here but then he saw that all of the girls were here too. Apparently they saw the news report; he was in so much trouble from Kim.

"Uh well, what are you doing here?" He asked her as the doors opened. Hopefully Kim would kill him now; she would be kinder than Kat would be.

"William Cranston! You are in so much trouble!" Kim yelled as Tommy helped her down the walkway. Trini and the others saw Kim limping down the walkway and leaning into Tommy's side. Something was wrong for her to be leaning into Tommy like she was. Kim had never leaned into him like that even when she had been held captive by Zedd. She was hurt.

XXXX

Okay what did everyone think? Please let me know. I hope that everyone enjoyed this chapter. I wanted to surprise the rangers with Zedd being back. It was his zord so it was only natural that he be back. The next chapter should be out soon.


	10. Face the Music

A/N: I don't own anything but the concept. So here it is the final chapter. I hope that everyone enjoys this chapter and the story. This has been a joy to write with Tommy and Kim and the others. Once again thanks to my wonderful beta because of you this story was a hundred times better. Now on to the final chapter.

XXXX

"Billy!" Kim shouted again when she got to the end of the ramp. Tommy was trying not to laugh at Billy's expression. It was one of pure panic.

"Kim, I tried but NASA somehow got footage of the moon." Billy said with he held his hands up and shifted his feet back very slowly so as not to alert Kim.

"Uh huh, sure," She said with a smile before pulling him into her arms. Tommy was smiling at them as she released Billy. Trini and the other girls were just staring at them when Kim's ring caught the light. There was a moments pause before it hit Trini full force.

"KIMBERLY ANNE HART, what is on your finger?" Trini screamed as she ran up to Kim and grabbed her hand. She turned Kim's over and studied the ring closely. Tommy did a great job on picking this ring out for Kim.

"Does this mean what I think it means?" Tanya asked as she and the other girls walked up behind Trini. They looked at the ring as well and all smiled.

"Depends on what you are thinking." Kim said slyly. Tommy held back a smile of his own. He heard the guys moving around behind him. He knew that they wouldn't make it out though. Trini had ears like a hawk. The boys didn't stand a chance.

"Kimberly, this had better be an engagement ring from Tommy or I will kill Jason." She said looking at her husband who was sneaking around behind Tommy.

"Why do I have to die if they are not engaged?" He asked as he walked out of the shadows to face his wife. It was better to see what was coming than take it in the back. "I mean they are their own two people with lives separate from us." He said as he stopped in front of his wife.

"Kim?" Trini asked her but did not take her eyes off of her husband in case he ran for it. She was prepared to chase him down if necessary. The other guys walked forward to stand in front of their girlfriends, wives, or teammates. If Jason could stand up to Trini then they could face the music as well. It was only fair after all.

"We're engaged!" Kim screamed as everyone started cheering. Trini smiled and grabbed Jason by the neck before planting her lips on his. His arms slid around her waist as he pulled her closer. The others cheered and backed away from them because technically they were still on their honeymoon and it was better to leave them in peace. Jason had just escaped the wrath of Trini.

"So you were working on the ship, how did that go on the moon?" Ashley asked her husband with a smile on her face. She threw her arms around his neck and pulled him in for a kiss. She wasn't that mad at him since he didn't do it alone. He had had enough sense to ask the others for help.

"So you're not mad that we went to the moon and didn't tell you?" Cole asked as all the Reds groaned. He had reminded the girls after Kim had worked so hard to distract them. Kim started laughing as the girls turned from her to the boys. It was all up to them now.

"Cole, sometimes it's better to forget things." Tommy explained as the Reds started backing away from the girls who were advancing on them rather quickly.

"Cole we will discuss this later." Rocky said as he took off running but Aisha had apparently been ready for that because she caught him right outside the doors. She had him pinned to the ground with a knee in his back. Rocky was whining like a baby as Aisha started beating him with her purse.

"He's dead." Kim said as she and Tommy stayed back and let everyone else fight it out. It was quite funny to see all the Reds cowering before the girls. Kim looked over at Trini hitting Jason in the shoulder before slapping him upside the head. She heard bits of what Trini was yelling and found out that Jason had in fact run out to answer Tommy's call. He would be in a world of trouble for a while.

"I think that we should leave and let the girls take care of this because we have a wedding to start planning." He whispered in her ear. She nodded and he helped her out to the jeep. He ran back inside to grab their bags before running back out to the car with their bags in his arms. He knew that he would hear it from the guys later but he needed some time alone with Kim and besides it was their fault that the girls didn't know. He had told Kim after all.

XXXX

_Two Months Later_

"Kim, are you with me?" Trini asked her best friend. She waved her hand in front of Kim's face.

"Yea, I'm just tired of all the wedding plans. It feels like this will never end. I just want this wedding to be over." Kim said with a sigh as she stood up to get her something to drink. She and Tommy had decided not to wait too long because they had waited too long already. The problem was that she had very little time to get everything done for the wedding in the small time frame. She was thankful that all their friends pitched in to help with the wedding.

"You have a week left before you walk down the aisle. It will be over soon enough now come back in here so we can decide if this color of pink will work." Trini said as Kim sighed. She really couldn't wait until all the wedding decisions were over and the party began.

"You know even though I wore pink all through high school, I never really knew that there were so many shades of pink." She said as she grabbed a glass and the tea pitcher. She was at Trini and Jason's house since she had moved everything but an air mattress over to Tommy's house soon to be their house on the outside of Reefside. She loved the house and couldn't wait to live there with Tommy. He chose Reefside because he would be teaching at the high school starting in the fall.

"Kim, come on, after we get the right color of pink we can go to David's Bridal. They need to know the color today." She said as Kim rolled her eyes and got her drink before walking back into the living room and sitting down.

"Okay let's see the selection again." She said as she set her drink down and looked once more at all the shades of pink. She took a deep breath and looked at Trini before looking at the card again. She glanced down and saw the perfect shade of pink. It was in the bottom right corner and also her favorite shade of pink. How could she have missed this?

"I see that look, you know the color." Trini said with a sigh even as she raised her eyes heavenward and whispered a silent thank you. This had been the hardest choice of the wedding.

"Yeah, it's called bubble gum pink," Kim said jumping up. "It's perfect." She was spinning around with the card close to her chest.

"Finally!" Trini said with a smile as she watched Kim. Sighing she moved that to the side and looked at the song list one more time. Everything else had already been decided on but the color of the bridesmaids' dresses. Kim had only said pink not really thinking about how many shades that included but thankfully she had finally made a decision.

"Are we leaving now?" Kim asked bringing Trini back to the present.

"Oh yea we need to go before they close. They also want you to try on your dress one last time in case they need to make any alterations." She said as Kim nodded and they grabbed their purses before walking out. Thankfully, they had all the bridesmaids' measurements for the dresses. They said it would only take a day to get all of them made since they had a team ready to sew them.

XXXX

"Tommy, have you seen her dress?" Jason asked as he flipped the burgers on the grill. The boys were all at Tommy's house having a big cookout as the girls made sure that all the wedding plans were set for next week. Adam had suggested that he, Rocky, Billy, Zack, and Jason meet up at Tommy's house for some guy bonding before Tommy walked down the aisle.

"No she refuses to let me see it before the big day. She wants to see my face the first time I see her in it." He said as he took a drink of his coke. He was glad that all the guys were here. It was great to have some guy time with all the planning he and Kim had been doing the past two months. They had brought a house and had taken jobs in Reefside all while planning their wedding.

"Man, you know Trini won't tell me what it looks like either. I want to know if she is keeping with her favorite color of pink." He said as the other guys started laughing. They knew that in a week Kim could very well be walking down the aisle in a bright pink dress.

"Your wife won't tell you because you would tell me." Tommy pointed out setting his drink down on the table and relaxing back in his chair.

"No I won't." He said turning from the grill to look at Tommy and the other guys. It was a beautiful day for grilling.

"Yea you would," Adam interjected. "Jason, have you ever kept anything from Tommy?" He asked with a smile.

"Yea lots of things," he said. "I'm sure of it." His brows furrowed as he tried to think of something that he didn't tell Tommy.

"No probably not." Billy piped in causing everyone to laugh.

"I know there has got to be something that I haven't told our fearless leader." Jason said turning back to the grill for a minute.

"Jason since we met, you have never kept a secret from me. It's okay though because I don't think I have ever kept a secret from you except that I liked Kim and wanted to ask her to the dance." Tommy said trying to soothe Jason's feelings.

"Yea but I knew that just by looking at your face." Jason fired back with a smile which made everyone else smile as well.

"Oh that's too true and boy you were a bundle of nerves while you were working up the courage to ask Kim to that dance. I didn't think that you would ever ask her." Zack said with a laugh.

"Well at least I knew I wanted to ask Kimberly," Tommy said. "Jason, here took like ten years to ask Trini out on a date. It was a good thing that she said yes when he did ask her." He fired back with a smile.

"Well if you think back, he really didn't ask her, she asked him." Billy said with a smile. They finally quit poking fun at Jason and started talking about days long past. They had shared so many great times and were the better for it. They had been through a lot as friends and rangers and it was a bond that couldn't be broken.

XXXX

_One Week Later_

"You look beautiful." Tommy whispered in Kim's ear. She had been right about not letting him see the dress before today. The dress was stunning but it was her that made the dress come alive. Jason had been shocked to see Kim come down the aisle too but only because the dress was not pink at all but a brilliant white. Kim floated down the aisle with her bouquet of pink roses. The bridesmaids were in perfectly matching pink A-line dresses that just skimmed the floor. They carried pink and white roses tied together by a green ribbon. They didn't want to have the wedding in a church because it was the perfect time of year for an outdoor wedding. Tommy and Kim of course chose the park by the lake where they shared their first kiss all those years ago. When Ernie heard that they were having the wedding at the park, he told them not to look any further than the Youth Center for their reception. He wanted them to have the perfect day. The reception was in full swing when Trini came up behind Tommy and Kim.

"Are you ready, Kim?" Trini asked her.

"Yes, I am." Kim said as she smiled at Tommy before walking over to the mic stand that Trini and Zack had set up for her.

"Hey guys, you all know that I love to write songs and this is one that I wrote for my new husband. Tommy, this is all the words I wanted to say while we were apart living out our dreams." She said with a smile. Looking over at Zack, she nodded and he sat down at the piano to play for her.

_I pinch myself sometimes  
__To make sure I'm not in a dream  
__That's how it seems  
__I closed my eyes and breathe in  
__The sweetest moments I've ever known  
__It feels like home  
__And here I am  
__I want to be you're everything  
__There you are turning winter into spring  
_

_And everyone that sees you  
__Always wants to know you  
__And everyone that knows you  
__Always has a smile  
__Your standing ovation  
__After years of waiting  
__For a chance to finally shine  
__Everyone calls you amazing  
__I just call you mine_

The girls all sighed as Kim continued to sing. They all knew everyone in the ranger world did consider Tommy amazing. He had been on the most teams and was a very good ranger but it was only Kim that could call him hers. She had always been his biggest fan just as he was hers. They had each waited on the sidelines for each other even when they were apart, they were waiting.

_I fall apart and just a word from you  
__Somehow seems to fix whatever's wrong  
__Oh, you reach into my weakest moments  
__And remind me that I'm strong  
__You gotta know  
__I'd be a fool not to see or even worse  
__To forget that you're more than I deserve_

Kim looked over at Tommy with all the love in her eyes. She remembered those moments when all she needed was a word from him. He could fix whatever was wrong with just a simple word or phrase. She also remembered when she was weak and he would always tell her that she was strong. He was more than she deserved sometimes but she wasn't letting him go.

_Cause everyone that sees you  
__Always wants to know you  
__And everyone that knows you  
__Always has a smile  
__Your standing ovation  
__After years of waiting  
__For a chance to finally shine  
__Everyone calls you amazing  
__I just call you mine_

_Nothing makes sense when you're not here  
__As if my whole world disappears  
__Without you, what's the point?  
_

_Cause everyone that sees you  
__Always want to know you  
__And everyone that knows you  
__Always has a smile _

_You're the dream that I've been chasing  
__After years of waiting  
__For a chance to finally shine  
__Everyone calls you amazing  
__I just call you mine  
_

_Everyone calls you amazing  
__I just call you mine_

Everyone was silent during the song as they pictured the last few years of Kim and Tommy's lives. They knew that it had been hard on the two of them but they had let each other go to find their way. They wanted each other to shine on their own path. It just happened that their paths would always find the other one. The crowd burst into loud applause as Kim finished the song and walked over to Tommy.

"That was so beautiful and I loved it." He said as he leaned down and captured her lips. He poured all the love he felt for her into that kiss. Trini walked back over to them with a smile on her face.

"Kim, I think it's time to throw the bouquet and the garter." She said as Kim nodded. Tommy smiled as Trini got all the single women in line for Kim to throw the bouquet over her shoulder. Most of the ones in line were younger but Aisha, Kat, Tanya, Cassie and several other ranger girls were in there too. As Kim launched it over her shoulder, Aisha elbowed her way to the front to it catch it. Kat was being just as aggressive and everyone stepped back out of their way. Aisha ended up getting there first and waved it in the air like a trophy. Jason pulled a chair for Kim to sit on so that Tommy could get her garter off. The guys made cat calls as Tommy's hands slid further up Kim's legs and finally found the garter. He smiled as his hands slid back down her leg and came out with a hot pink garter.

"I knew that she had pink on somewhere." Jason yelled from the side of the room. All the rangers laughed knowing the secret meaning of Jason's words. The other guest smiled as well but only because they all knew that Kim loved pink and wore it everyday in high school.

"Yea yea so I had to have something pink. You know it's my favorite color." Kim called back as Tommy stood up and turned his back on the single guys waiting on him to throw it. At the front of the group were Zack, Billy, Rocky, Adam, and Justin. Tommy smiled at Kim then tossed her garter over his head into the waiting crush. It flew right at Billy but at the last second Rocky's hand flew out and snatched it.

"Hey it was coming right for me." Billy said with a smile not really caring that Rocky had snatched it from him.

"Yea but I got it." Rocky said as he started dancing around with the garter above his head. Kim started laughing as she stood up and walked over to Tommy.

"Are you ready to leave?" She asked him.

"Yea, let's go." He said as they said their goodbyes and walked out to bubbles flying around. Their friends sent them out in style. They were ready to start their life together and this was the best time to do it. No more running for either of them. They had found each other finally; the power couple was back where they belong, and that was with each other.

XXXX

Okay so what did everyone think? Please let me know one final time. I hope that everyone liked this chapter and thanks again for reading it and a big thanks to those that review. This story is for you. Also the song is called I Just Call You Mine by Martina McBride and I thought that it was perfect for Tommy and Kim and worked very well with this story. Once again thanks for reading, reviewing, and just putting this story on your alert list. I do have a few stories in the works so be looking for those stories in a few weeks.


End file.
